A Hero of Ice and Shadow
by Lynerx
Summary: A deep retelling of my experience playing through FE12. Though not completely canon, it follows the FE12 plot. Glacia leaves her grandfather's cabin to become an Altean knight. Little does she know, fate is about to guide her on a grand adventure to save the world and discover her past. (First 2 chapters were when the fic was a joke, 3 onwards gets more serious)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Entry Level

"Who might you be?" The stoic guard asked me as he blocked my path into Castle Altea.

"Name's Glacia. I'm here to join the Altean army!" I could barely contain my excitement as I spoke. I've always had a grand dream of becoming Prince Marth's Royal Guard. Even now, as a "nobody", I was willing to throw my life into danger's way to protect our prince.

"Mm, alright. You better get in there quick, you're already running late." He moved out of the way, revealing the path. I walked down the path quickly, but not fast enough that I was running to my destination. My mind was racing at the thought of fighting for our prince.

"Almost there! I can see th-" The impact of my body on another stopped me mid-sentence. I staggered backwards as the stranger fell to the ground.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!" I rushed to help her get back up on her feet.

"Not to worry, I'm alright. I guess I should look where I'm going." she admitted as she steadied herself with my shoulder, "Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm Glacia. I'm hoping to join the Altean army and, if possible, become a Royal Guard!" I replied with enthusiasm.

"Nice to meet you... I'm Katarina and I wish to join the army as well."

"Oh, cool! If that's the case, we better hurry up and join the others!" I said as I led her in the direction of the large gathering of people. "Well, it looks like we're not too late, thank the heavens."

Cain, also known as The Bull, was in front of the crowd. "Every single one of you have the potential to become something greater! We have members of our own militia to help with your training today. You shall spar with them. Listen to what they have to say. They are soldiers for a reason." With that said, he walked off to the side to observe our performance.

"Oh... I'm scared..." Katarina whispered as she huddled closer to me.

"What's wrong? You can't fight?" I asked as the small crowd in front of us began to engage the soldiers.

"N-No... not at all. I'm more of a tactician than a fighter."

"Alright, don't worry. Stay behind me. I've got this." Katarina backed away as a soldier approached me. He was on horseback while I was still on foot. My grandfather had trained me in the arts of a cavalier, but I was unable to call to my horse at the moment. Blazemane was left in the stables outside the castle walls. For now, I'd have to fight like a myrmidon.

I unsheathed my blade as he readied his lance. We made eye contact for a moment and then we charged at each other. I went on a straight path towards him and jumped to the left before his horse crashed into me. Being on the ground, it was an easy task to avoid his lance. Realizing he had missed, he turned his horse around for another round. That was his mistake. I took advantage of the time needed to turn his horse around to run in and strike. I landed a clean blow to his horse's thigh. It whinnied in pain as it charged past me.

The soldier ran off into the distance, turned around, and charged, full speed, in my direction. I attempted to fake him out again, but he caught onto my plan. He commanded his horse to stop once he got close and put me within lance range. I swiftly reacted to the incoming weapon, but the lance was able to leave a small cut on my face. I recognized the opportunity. After taking the blow, I weaved under his lance and jumped up at him. A quick slash of my blade to his chest was enough to make him surrender. He ran away from the battle injured.

"A-Are you alright?" Katarina ran up to me, "That was... amazing... How did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was trained by my grandfather. We lived in the woods together after my parents were mysteriously killed." I quickly explained, "Let's keep moving. I don't want to be targeted by two soldiers while fighting on foot." We walked around the chaos that was taking place and I scanned the area for any horses that I could attempt to fight on.

"Hey, is that your horse out there?" Cain startled me as he approached me. I looked in the direction he was pointing and, sure enough, Blazemane was standing there.

"Indeed it is." I admitted.

"So you usually fight mounted, correct?"

"Correct, sir. I was unable to get him inside the castle with me."

"I saw your fight with that lone soldier. He's known for that reckless charge. Usually, it's capable of taking out multiple infantry units in one swoop." He scanned the chaotic crowd, looking for anyone else who stood out. "Open that gate and let your horse in. I want at least one round with you before we finish." My heart stopped. Cain, one of the many heroes of the War of Shadows, wanted to spar with me.

"Well, you can't turn this down can you?" Katarina asked softly, "I know you'll be able to win." She put on an innocent smile and melted my heart.

"Alright. I accept your challenge!" I exclaimed as adrenaline started to flow.

"I'm glad." He smirked at me and then began to address the crowd, "Everyone, stop your fights and put your weapons down! I believe I have found someone whose fighting strength is on par with my own. I ask for you all to be our audience and use our fight as an example for future fights." The chaos stopped as everyone gawked at me. Then, there were people whispering quite loudly about me as others turned to face us.

"Her? Against Cain? I believe we're about to witness a murder."  
"What did he see in her? I don't see anything at all!"

"Ready yourself!" Cain exclaimed as he mounted his horse and got into position. I opened the gate and Blazemane galloped in. She took a battle position in front of Cain before I was able to get onto her. Once I was situated upon her back, I grabbed the backup spear I have hanging from Blazemane's saddle. The match was a lance against another.

"Time to put my grandfather's training into practice." I said to myself as I tightly gripped the spear in my right hand. The crowd was silent and a pleasant breeze blew through our intense battle. Cain raised his spear as an indication of readiness. I did the same. I looked deep into his eyes, trying to read his first move.

The battle started with a swift kick from Blazemane, propelling us towards Cain at an alarming pace. He stood his ground as I charged at him. I swung my lance outward as we ran past him, but the blow glanced off of his crimson red armor. He took the opportunity to retaliate. Luckily, I was able to react in time and blocked the attack with my own lance. We backed off for a few feet before Cain charged in at full force. The sudden attack caught me off guard and I attempted to back away to avoid getting hit. My attempt was in vain as his lance slashed my arm. I made a retreat back to where I stood at the start of the battle. I had no time to care for my arm as he was already coming in with another reckless charge. Flight was no longer an option. I gripped my lance tightly as I charged at him. At this rate, the impact would determine the winner.

The deafening sound of hooves on dirt filled the air around me. I extended my lance outward on my right side. We were about to pass each other when I heard a faint yell from behind me.

"Aim higher!" the distant voice said. Instinctively, I raised my lance higher and braced for impact. I closed my eyes as we clashed. Our horses whinnied as our weapons hit their targets. I felt a slight nudge on my right side, but kept my grip on Blazemane's reins. A large cloud of dust covered the battle as Blazemane screeched to a stop. I opened my eyes and learned that I was still on Blazemane, even after our charges made contact. The dust began to settle and Cain's horse came into view. I noticed Katarina standing on the other side of the battlefield. She seemed to be distracted by something. I took my attention off of her when I heard the sound of shifting dirt. I dismounted Blazemane and walked in the general direction of the sound.

"Heh, not bad." Cain rose from the cloud of dust and leaned onto his horse's side, "Never thought I would get knocked down after my experience in the War of Shadows. I can already tell, there's something different about you." He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You've proven yourself quite well. You're in." He gave me a small grin and went to address the crowd. They stared at him as he made his way to the front of the crowd. "Let's continue, shall we." He said as the remaining soldiers scrambled into a more orderly position. I led Blazemane back to her stable before coming back in to observe. The rest of the testing session was mostly a blur to me. Soldiers fell left and right. A majority of the crowd were not strong enough to scratch a piece of Cain's armor. I stood in the background watching the crowd's numbers dwindle.

"Hey, are you alright? You seem distracted." Katarina asked me, startling me somewhat.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, still holding onto my injured arm.

"I… I went to have a talk with Sir Cain just now."  
"Oh? What about?"

"About… about getting into the army." She paused for a moment to stare at the ground, "I had to take a… non-physical test, b-but I got in!" Her entire face seemed to glow of excitement.

"That's great news!" I said. This increased her excitement and she suddenly gave me a hug.

"I'm so happy I can fight on your side!" Her lavender hair seemed to bounce as she embraced me. A moment later, Cain closed the testing session by announcing the names of those who have made it in. Afterward, he stated, "To those who have made it through, please gather in the central garden. Prince Marth wishes to address you all before the day ends."

After learning where the central garden was, Katarina and I made our way there. Everyone else either lagged behind or decided to take a different route there.

"I wonder… what will he talk about?" Katarina mumbled to herself as we passed by several decorative statues.

"I don't have a clue. Though, it would be an honor to see him with my own eyes." I walked through the quiet halls and remembered my days at my grandfather's cabin. He used to tell me the story of Marth's victory over the Shadow Dragon. I remember being fascinated with the story, remember wanting to learn the ways of the sword because of it.

"Oh! There it is!" Katarina exclaimed, breaking my nostalgic trance. I looked in the direction she was pointing and noticed the large expanse that was the central garden. White cobblestone paths spanned across the verdant lawns. Bushes and trees ornament the sides and corners of the paths. A large balcony was in the center of the far side of the garden. It was adorned with Altean banners and a round, blue awning covered it from rain and sunshine. Fountains were placed in the corners of the garden and a large fountain was placed in the center of the entire garden. I walked to the center fountain and took a long look into the water. It was a beautiful shade of blue and I was able to see my own reflection. My blue hair shone in the sun and was even brighter in the reflection. The blue stones under the water seemed familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Katarina came to join me in staring at the water. "It's so pretty… isn't it?" she asked as she admired the blue stones. The stillness of the water was destroyed when the rest of the new soldiers arrived at the garden. Their collective voices filled the tranquil garden as they explored the beautiful landscape. A few minutes passed before someone called for our attention.

"Attention!" An elderly, well-armored man shouted from below the balcony. Everyone stopped what they were doing and slowly gathered around him. I recognized the man as Jagen, the veteran knight who protected Prince Marth at the beginning of the War of Shadows. "Prince Marth would like a few words before dismissing you all."

We looked up as a figure moved from the shadows into the sunlight illuminating the balcony railing.

"Oh, he looks so majestic!" Katarina stared in awe as Prince Marth appeared.

"Indeed." I was not able to muster any other words. He was just as I had imagined him to be. His blue hair reminded me of my own.

"I have come before you today to congratulate you all for making it into our army and I hope you will serve honorably." The crowd was dead silent as he spoke, "I was only able to win the War of Shadows with the help of my many friends and allies. I hope that I will be able to work with all of you in the same way. We're stronger… much stronger together than on our own. Good luck with training tomorrow." He looked down upon us with a warm smile before retreating into the shadows once more.

"Now, every one of you have a living quarters assigned to you. Check this billboard to learn where your temporary quarters are. Meet here tomorrow morning to find out which platoon you will be in. That is all." Jagen left us to figure out our rooms on our own.

"Did you find yours yet?" I asked Katarina as I stumbled over the people crowded around the billboard.

"Not yet. I'm still looking." Katarina replied as she squeezed in-between two people.

"Oh, I found us! We're not that far apart actually." I yelled as I came across our names. We studied the map provided on the opposite side of the billboard for a while before making our way to our rooms.

"So, we'll be across the hall from each other? This is great!" Katarina exclaimed, demonstrating her childlike excitement.

"You'll wake me up if I oversleep right?" I joked.

"Of course! And maybe we'll make some new friends tomorrow when we get assigned to a platoon!"

"That would be fun." I said as we got to our rooms, "I'm exhausted from today. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Alright! See you tomorrow!" She said as she entered her room. Katarina seemed like a sweet and friendly person. I hope I can get to know her better tomorrow, I thought to myself. I opened the door and entered the small room. The room was warm, lit by a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a bed to my right, multiple types of racks to my left, and a small window straight ahead. The baggage I had left at Blazemane's stable was already in the room. I frantically opened one of the bags and was instantly relieved that my necklace hasn't been stolen. The necklace was simple, with a large ice-blue stone dangling from the center. Grandfather told me it was very important to my mother that I kept it at all times.

"This stone is more special than you think. It holds a powerful secret. Don't ever lose it." I remembered him saying. I put the necklace back into its small bag and got onto the bed. Its brown covers were softer than they looked and the pillow provided was a bit on the hard side. I looked out the window to see that the sun had already set and night time has already begun. I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to see a cart being pushed by a soldier. He motioned for me to get one. I picked one at random and he left to knock on the next door. I peeked inside to find various sandwiches.

After having what I believe was my dinner, I settled into bed. The moment I pulled the sheets over myself, I fell into a deep sleep. As I slept, I dreamed of a fallen Altea. I stood there watching it burn as dragons flew all around me. I heard their ghastly cries as they breathed fire and destruction. One of them flew right at me and I woke up in a cold sweat. A knock on the door startled me.  
"Hey, it's time to get up! You don't want to be late, do you?" It was Katarina.

"Hold on! I'm coming! Give me a minute." I replied as I scrambled to ready myself. I was so exhausted last night, I had forgotten to take off my armor. I grabbed my sword and my lance. With my sword properly sheathed, I opened the door and followed Katarina outside. I tried to stop thinking about the dream, but it wasn't possible. "What was it?" I wondered to myself, "What could it mean?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: 7th Platoon

"So, we're in the 7th platoon?" I asked Katarina for confirmation.

"Yup. I wonder, who else is in this platoon?" She wondered out loud. Just as she finished her sentence, a small group approached us.

"You two are in the 7th platoon, too?" A well-armored, man with green hair asked as he stepped forward, "I'm Luke! Or if you prefer, you can call me Luke, the Paladin of Dawn!"

Another man stepped forward with Luke. "I'm Rody. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." He had green armor on instead of blue armor like Luke and chocolate brown hair. "Is that everyone?"

"U-um…" A very shy voice came from behind the two armor-clad men, "I-I'm Ryan… I'm an archer." He had green hair similar to Luke, but had a bowl-haircut style instead of standing straight up. He had light armor on and a quiver strapped to his back.

"I'm Glacia and this is Katarina." I said, "I'm a cavalier while she's an aspiring strategist."

"Yup. I'm not so good at fighting, but I want to do what I can to help out." She said with a smile.

"Now that we all know each other, what do we have to do?" Rody asked.

"Sir Jagen has ordered us to decide who our platoon's commander will be." Katarina answered.

"Well, clearly it should be me, Luke!" Luke exclaimed with confidence, "It's obvious that I'm the strongest one around here. I'd make a great commander."

"I… I actually think Glacia should be our commander." Katarina said while looking at me.

"I'm clearly better than her. I'm an actual warrior on the battlefield." Luke said with a big smile.

"She was great during her fight with Cain and she didn't leave me when I said I couldn't fight." Katarina rebutted with a stern look, "She's the greatest fighter I've ever seen."

"Katarina… are you sure?" I asked, concerned that she had put too much faith in me.

"Well, then how about we fight for it?" Luke suggested, "I'll prove my strength to you and rightfully claim the position of commander of the 7th platoon!"

"As long as it's a fair fight, I accept." I said. I felt confident about fighting Luke.

"Let's go out to the field where the mock battles took place. We'll grab our horses and after that," Luke turned around and pointed at me, "it's just you and me!" Luke and Rody ran through the hallways ahead of us while I took my time walking with Katarina and Ryan.

"I… I'm sorry I said that so suddenly…" Katarina said quietly, "I just didn't like how he talked you."

"It's fine." I reassured her, "I'll teach him a few lessons on the battlefield and he'll learn to keep quiet." I got a small giggle from Katarina. When we got to the stables, Luke and Rody have already mounted their horses.

"Come on! Let's go!" Luke yelled as he rode with Rody through the gate into the large field.

"Can I help out?" Ryan asked as I led Blazemane out of her stable.

"I think its best that you stayed with Katarina. I'll be fine on my own." I said as I rode Blazemane through the gate to meet with Luke. Rody stood a several feet behind him.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Luke shouted as he pulled out his lance.

"I'm ready when you are!" I shouted and gripped my lance tightly. I noticed Rody backing away from the battle. What's Rody doing over there anyways, I wondered. I quickly stopped staring at Rody when I heard Luke already starting to charge at me. Blazemane jumped into action, dodging Luke's sudden charge. I turned around and rode towards Luke, hoping for a clean hit. He anticipated my move and blocked my lance with his own. Our lances crossed and we fought to push each other's weapons to the ground.

Luke gave a loud yell and was able to push my lance to the side. A quick movement of his lance sent my lance flying away. I heard a small chuckle as I rode away. I quickly unsheathed my sword and went in for an attack. The sword was much too short to attack a lance wielder without sustaining damage, but it was my only option. I charged in with my sword pointed outward. Luke charged at me as well, his long lance pointing in my direction. I fought against instinct and ordered Blazemane to ride closer to the incoming horse. It was the only way my sword will stand a fighting chance.

With Luke a lance-distance away, I swung my blade as hard as I could while ducking down at the same time. I felt the air move above me as a lance swung overhead. My sword made contact with Luke's chest plate, leaving a significant dent in it. I quickly turned Blazemane around and went for another charge. Luke was still stunned from my blow. I took the chance to knock him off with a swift kick.

"Looks like I've won this one." I said out loud. Before I was able to get down and help Luke get up, I spotted something coming towards me.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. Now it's my turn!" It was Rody and he was coming at me very quickly. I readied my blade for another battle. I turned to face him, but was too late to mount an attack. His lance was already coming at me. I raised my sword up to block the attack. The lance clinked off the blade as Rody rode past me. I turned around once again and charged in for an attack. He noticed my advance and retaliated by blocking my blade.

"You might have been able to beat Luke, but I won't go down so easily." He said before pushing my blade away and thrusting his lance at me. Luckily, I was able to dodge it in time before it did serious damage.

"I thought this was going to be a one-on-one!" I exclaimed as I blocked another attack.

"It is one-on-one. Just two separate ones." He pushed against my blade and attempted another attack. The tip of his lance caught onto the bandage on my arm and pulled it off. Using the time it took for Rody to reclaim his lance, I struck him on his side. He raised his arm to block it, but the swing was too much for it to handle. The piece of metal bent as my blade made contact. I risked losing my balance and attacked again from the opposite side. Rody tried to evade the strike, but my blade had already made contact with his armor. The sound of metal on metal was heard as my blade left a long scratch. He was finally able to regain control of his lance and prepared for another strike. However, my blade was already at his throat.

"Alright. You win." He said as he dropped his lance. "Guess you're officially the commander now."

After recovering from the events of the fight for the position of commander, we gathered in the hallway in front of my living quarters.

"Well, I hate to admit it, but I guess you've won fair and square." Luke admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"What was with Rody joining the fight?" I asked.

"I felt that Luke wouldn't be able to put up a good fight against you, so I would serve as the real test of strength." Rody answered as Luke gave him an odd look.

"Should we address you as Commander Glacia?" Ryan asked.

"Please don't. I don't need any titles." I replied.

"Hey, is it alright if I call you by a nickname?" Luke asked while giving a not-so-innocent smile.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat." I said as I prepared to go inside for a rest.

"Hmmm…." Luke thought long and hard about a good nickname for me, "How about… Glacia the Terrible?" What happened afterwards was a blur to me. I just remember going back into my quarters exhausted from running all around Castle Altea.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Princess Caeda

The sun was shining brighter than usual when I woke up. It effortlessly illuminated my room through the small window. It was oddly silent. Typically, there would be the sound of people knocking on doors and scattering to their destination. I prepared myself by grabbing my weapons and strapping my armor on. Slowly, I opened the door to find an empty corridor.

"Hmm, I must be early." I whispered to myself as I looked up and down the hallway. I quietly walked over to Katarina's door and knocked on it softly. A few minutes later, the door squeaked open.

"Wha… what is it? It's a bit early, don't you think?" She sleepily said, rubbing her eyes. Before I could apologize for waking her up a bit early, the hallway was suddenly filled with the sound of opening of doors. "Would you look at that… you were only a few minutes early." She gave me a sleepy smile before retreating into her room, "Since you're already ready, why don't you come in for a while?"

"Sure." I shut the door just as the usual commotion started. I made myself comfortable on her bed while she prepared for today's training. She grabbed books of different sizes and colors and put them into her bag. I noticed a distinctly purple book was left on her desk. It had odd patterns and designs on the cover. I also noticed it had multi-colored cloth bookmarks inserted in various places. "Uh, a little question. What's that book over there for?" I asked as I pointed towards the purple book.

"Oh. That's a special book that was given to me by someone who meant a lot to me. I keep a lot of personal stuff in there." She finished fixing her hair and picked up her book bag, "Let's go, we shouldn't be late to our first training session." I followed her out of the door and met up with the rest of our platoon.

"We've been told to meet in the forest just outside the castle gates." Rody informed us as we walked down the hallway.

"What will we be doing I wonder…" I thought out loud.

"Training of course! What else would it be?" Luke exclaimed in a joking manner, "Geez, you really are Glacia the Terrible." I glared at him, but decided that another lap around the castle wasn't worth it.

"Look, we're going to have to fight as a team or we're never going to get anywhere." Katarina broke the awkward silence that formed from Luke's comment. We all silently agreed and walked out of the gate. I led Blazemane into the forest alongside Luke and Rody. We walked for a few minutes before we saw Cain standing on the side of the path. He noticed us and started walking towards us.

"Today is your first day of training and I'm going to be monitoring all of you until you've completed all of your training." He said as he stopped in front of me, "Follow me, you'll be training in a forest clearing in this direction." He turned and walked into the forest. I walked beside Cain while everyone else trailed behind us.

"Who will we be fighting today?" I asked him. Blazemane paused for a second before continuing to follow me. He pulled out a small book and flipped through the pages.

"You're going up against Princess Caeda today." He closed the book as we approached the edge of the clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a small group of soldiers as well as a pegasus. "I'll be watching your battle from here. Give it your best shot." Our small group walked out into the bright sunlight and prepared for battle. I led the group to the center of the clearing where the pegasus stood. Princess Caeda was standing next to the pegasus, softly brushing its mane. Her long, blue hair floated in the calm breeze as it swept across the clearing. She was very lightly armored as many Pegasus Knights usually are. She noticed me as I stopped before her.

"These soldiers and I will serve as your first training session. The men and women behind me have many years of experience and will not hold back." She said before jumping onto the pegasus's back, "Get ready and good luck." She took off into the skies, leaving us with her small group of soldiers. They began to take their positions.

"Alright, I have a plan. Luke, Rody. You're going to be front and center." Katarina explained her positioning strategy, "Ryan, stay in the back. Glacia, go around the back and flank them."

"Are you sure I shouldn't be leading the charge?" I asked her.

"Trust me, this will minimize our injuries." She said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her book bag, "I've been working on a strategy for a simple battlefield like this one. I'm certain it will work out." I didn't question her judgment any further and took my position southeast from Luke's position. Rody stopped a few feet away from Luke's position while Ryan took his position behind me. He had an arrow nocked and ready to fire. I turned to face the enemy squad. They all wielded lances and none of them were mounted. Our group had three mounted units and an archer. I felt that we had the advantage against the foot soldiers, however Caeda was a different story. I looked up and saw her circling the battlefield. She seems to want to observe before she joins the fight.

I heard the sound of hooves on grass and I jumped into action. I held tight to Blazemane's neck as she blazed past the group of soldiers. Many of them noticed me and started to go after me. Blazemane showed no signs of slowing down. She ran until she was directly across from Luke and Rody's position. She stopped and turned towards our two cavaliers. I pulled out my lance and charged into the group. The soldiers were taken off guard and I was able to knock a few down with a swift movement of my lance. Blazemane kept running until we were near Ryan's position. He was taking aim at the soldiers who barely escaped Luke and Rody's attack. I heard the flapping of wings and turned to see Caeda lowering herself onto the battlefield. She pointed her iron lance at me and I immediately took it as a challenge. Luke and Rody were still occupied with the group of soldiers.

"Ryan! Focus on the soldiers. I'll be alright on my own." I shouted at Ryan. He nodded at me and moved away for a better shot at the soldiers. I held my lance tightly as I prepared to fight Princess Caeda of Talys. Her pegasus's wings startled Blazemane, but she calmed down almost instantly. Caeda took to the skies again and I prepared to counter any attack she may throw at me. I saw a shadow pass over me. I turned around and looked towards the sky. Caeda was swooping down towards me. I readied myself to attempt to block the attack as it was impossible to avoid it. I felt feathers brush against me as I blocked the force of a lance with my own. I thrust the lance's shaft outward and shoved Caeda away from me. She went around me for another attempt. I pulled on Blazemane's reins as she veered to the left. This was not enough, however, as I felt the tip of a lance drag across my side. As Blazemane rode away, I looked down to check on the newly acquired wound. It was minor, but the area was already soaked in blood. I had no choice but to ignore it. I saw her fly up for another attack and I attempted to ready myself for it.

I heard the sound of flapping feathers and I held my lance up high. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by me and struck the pegasus. It whinnied in pain and changed its trajectory. It landed with an injured wing, inhibiting its ability to fly. I looked to my right to see Ryan there with his bow in hand. I smiled at him as a 'thank you' and continued my fight with Caeda. I charged in towards her as her pegasus was still in shock from Ryan's attack. She noticed me in time, however, and successfully defended against my attack. Her defenses are too good for me, I thought to myself, perhaps there's a way I can bypass her lance. I charged at her once again to try to land a direct blow on her. I swung my lance hard as it met with Caeda's. I was determined to push through her defensive strategy. I put all my strength into my arms and was able to push her lance down. Quickly, I swung my lance in her direction. I heard it clink off of her shoulder armor and I immediately stopped it. The battlefield suddenly went silent.

The only thing I could hear was the sound of my heavy breathing. My lance's tip was a few inches away from the side of Caeda's neck. I lowered it as I heard footsteps coming towards me. I turned to see everyone staring at me.

"That was… impressive." Caeda said as she slowly as she put her lance down, "You fight exceptionally well for a newcomer to the Altean army."

"Thank you, Princess Caeda." I slightly blushed at her compliment.

"I really do hope that you'll become strong enough to protect Marth." She said, "If you ever need my help during your training, don't hesitate to call for me." Afterward, her pegasus galloped away, towards the castle.

"Is that something we can do?" I asked as Cain approached me.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. It's not common for newcomers to be offered help from people like Princess Caeda." Cain admitted, "I'll have to ask Jagen about it." After assessing the damage from both sides of the fight and patching up the gash on my side, we started walking back towards the castle.

"Hey, Rody," I called, "How was your half of the battle?"

"It was quite chaotic. I had to manage to keep the many lances away from me as well as keeping my own away from Luke's face." He said.

"I was great!" Luke exclaimed out of nowhere, "I did most of the work. Rody just took out the ones I accidentally missed."

"I guess it was quite unfortunate that you missed more than half of your targets." Rody snickered.

"I-I was having an off day!" Luke countered. Ryan was trailing in the back, giggling to himself.

"The plan really did work out." I said as I turned to Katarina, who was walking to my right.

"Just as I had planned it too." She admitted, "Although, your injury was definitely not part of the plan…"

"I guess there are things we can't plan for." I said with a smile.

"Ha… I guess." Katarina laughed nervously. As we continued to walk back to Castle Altea, we talked about our little experiences during our training session.

"And then this guy almost hits me over the head!" Luke complained.

"I almost hit you because I was avoiding you." Rody calmly explained, "It was so hard avoiding you, too. You ran around like a headless chicken." Everyone but Luke laughed at that.

"Luke, you remind me of, well, me." Cain joined the conversation, "I'm still like that too. I like to rush in and think later. It helps if you're fearless, though, many of my fellow knights have worried about me."

"Worried?" Katarina asked softly.

"Yea. They worry I'll run off and get myself killed." He admitted, "My advice is to keep your recklessness controlled, Luke. It may mean life or death in the future."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Luke said as we approached the path that led into Castle Altea.

"I still have work to do out here. You should get back inside and rest. I'll let you know about Caeda by tonight." He told us. Shortly afterward, he made his way to the stables and mounted his horse. As we walked through the large gates, Cain rode into the old training field.

"I wonder what he's up to." I said aloud.

"Must be important since he rode off so quickly." Katarina said, "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Glacia. Whatever it is, I'm sure Cain can handle it." For the next few hours, we rested in our own rooms and ate our dinner while waiting for Cain to get back to us with an answer. A few minutes after I was finished with my meal, I heard a strong knock on my door. I opened it to see Sir Jagen standing there.

"Commander of the 7th platoon, Glacia. I've been told that Princess Caeda wished to aid your platoon." He said.

"It's true, Sir Jagen." I admitted, "However, I was unsure if it would be allowed."

"Do you know how Prince Marth was able to overcome his enemies during the War of Shadows?"

"Of course. He fought with his many friends and allies."

"Precisely. He was able to achieve victory thanks to his many allies. No matter when they chose to join our fight, they could start fighting right away. Every ally is treated as an equal. That is how Prince Marth fights…" He seemed to get lost in thought for a while before continuing, "To put it simply, you are allowed to call for Princess Caeda's help during your training. Gaining allies is a very important part of being an Altean knight."

"Thank you, Sir Jagen." He nodded once before he walked away from my door. I was watching him walk down the hallway when I noticed Cain in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if there were a few arrows protruding from his back. It might have been the darkness playing tricks on me, I thought as I closed the door and sat down at my desk. I spent an hour sharpening and polishing my weapons before I called it a day.


	4. Chapter 3x

Chapter 3x: Whispering Mystery

"I'll let you know about Caeda by tonight." I said before taking off towards the stables. My armor made loud clangs as the plates hit each other. I worried the sound would scare off the figure I had seen sneaking around. As soon as I got to the stables, I jumped on top of my horse and quickly rode into the big, open field to the left of the stables. That figure I saw, I thought to myself, it can't be a good sign. I screeched to a stop at the edge of the forest where I believe was the last place I had seen the figure.

"This is Cain of the Altean knights! Show yourself!" I shouted into the trees. I scanned the darkening woods carefully. Nothing moved except for the leaves when the wind blew. I wondered, did they get away? I jumped off my horse and got closer to the trees. I could hear the wind blowing through the thick trunks and rustling the leaves, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. I was about to turn around when I heard a soft whisper.

"Heh… fool…" the soft voice taunted.

"Hey! Stop hiding in the dark and show yourself!" I was getting frustrated that they weren't cooperating. The forest went silent once again. I was determined to get to the bottom of this. I tied my horse to the fence post, grabbed the lantern that was hanging from his saddle, and went into the dark forest. I lit the lantern with a match and walked deeper into the forest. The wind blew through the forest almost continuously.

"Guess we're having a windy night tonight." I mumbled to myself as I scanned the area for anything suspicious. I made my steps as soft as possible as I made my way through the bushes and low hanging branches. I turned as I heard a sudden rustle in the bushes behind me.

"Gah! Show yourself!" I was starting to get impatient with whoever it was that was lurking in the shadows. I heard faint noises of laughter as the wind blew through the trees once again. I saw another shadow move in front of me and I decided in run in with my hand on my sword's handle. This time, I heard the laughter more clearly. I stopped in my tracks and surveyed the surrounding area. The trees casted ominous shadows in the calm forest. I felt something shoot past me and I turned to face it. There was nothing but darkness. Once again, I heard snickering in the woods. The woods were getting darker by the second. I knew I had to finish solving this mystery before it got too dark.

I held the lantern higher in an attempt to light up a bigger area. This did not help much as it made the trees' shadows more prominent. I heard something whizz past me again, followed by the same snickering.

"Look! If you don't show yourself soon, I'm going to have to use force!" I threatened. The laughs started up again and I started to doubt myself. My mind could be playing tricks on me, I thought, maybe this was all a figment of my imagination. Just as the thought crossed my mind I felt a strong pain on the left side of my back. I let out a cry of pain before turning around to see who had attacked me. All I could see in that direction was darkness. Once again, I heard the snickering coming from the darkness. I unsheathed my sword and stood my ground. As I looked around, I heard another arrow shoot past me. I turned to face the direction the arrow had come from. Before I could react, another arrow hit my lantern and it clanged onto the grass below. The light went out and I could barely make out the figures in the darkness. The moonlight filtered through the leafy canopy and lit up small areas of the woods.

I heard more rustling behind me and tried to keep my back turned away from them. The rustling started to surround me and the moonlight didn't seem to help. The rustling suddenly stopped and the forest was still once again. In the stillness of the night, I heard the sounds of multiple arrows shooting at once. Reacting quickly, I ran for cover behind a few trees. I was a few steps away from cover when I felt two arrows hit my back. When I finally found safety behind a couple of trees, I could faintly hear a voice in the distance.

"Maybe if you'd stop laughing so much, we would have finished up by now." The voice sounded feminine. I heard another faint laugh before the wind picked up again. With sword still in hand, I sat down and attempted to remove the arrows. Before I was able to touch one of the arrows, I heard the same feminine voice coming closer. I tried to keep as quiet as possible.

"Heh, isn't that cute? He thinks he can hide in the dark." I tried my best to breathe as quietly as possible. As each second passed, the pain in my back increased. I heard footsteps come dangerously close to me. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the forest. My sword was still in my hand, ready to strike at anything. The footsteps stopped and the silence settled down once more. Once again I heard the same laughter from before, but this time it sounded like it came from behind me. There was a violent rustle from the bushes and I instinctively swung my sword upward. Sparks flew as it clashed with an incoming axe. I looked up in an attempt to identify my assailant. In the faint moonlight, I caught a glimpse of a green mask and a curved horn. The combination of the increasing pain in my back and the horned assailant caused me to panic. With all the strength in my arm, I pushed the axe away from me with my sword. Using my legs, I managed to stand and push the axe away into the darkness. I heard the loud thud of a body hitting the ground.

I took the chance and sprinted away. The darkness surrounding me made it hard to find my way around the many trees. All I could focus on was the sound of my footsteps on the grassy dirt. I was alone and I was in pain. There had to be a way out of the void.

I wandered for what felt like hours. The onslaught of trees was never-ending. Too exhausted to continue, I sat down and tried to regain my sense of direction. I looked up to the skies, hoping it would give me a sign. In the dead of night, all I could hear was my own breathing. I was about to give up hope when I heard the flapping of a pegasus's wings above me. A large shadow appeared in the sky for a minute before flying off. Perhaps the pegasus is flying back to Castle Altea, I thought to myself, trying to remain positive. Using a tree branch to support me, I stood up and started walking in the same direction that the pegasus flew.

"I've been through much worse." I said to myself, "I can make it through this." The forest seemed to answer my comment with a small breeze. I walked from tree to tree, stopping every few trees to lean on the tree to rest. My back still ached with pain, but the adrenaline from the encounter seems to have slightly numbed it. I was dragging my sword behind me and the clanging of my shoulder armor resonated through the forest. I kept my head up and struggled my way through the dark.

After walking from tree to tree for about an hour, I caught a glimpse of a tree-less field. Ignoring my exhaustion, I pushed myself off of the tree I was leaning on and ran towards it. As I entered the glowing moonlight, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I grabbed onto the fence in front of me as I tried to identify where I was. I looked around in an attempt to find a familiar shape. The shadows seemed to melt into each other as I looked around. The shadows were indecipherable so I decided to walk along the fence instead. I put my faith into the fence to guide me back to safety. Throughout the entire walk, I couldn't stop thinking about the people who had attacked me before. I wondered, were they even people at all? The dark forest next to me seemed more intimidating than before.

Several minutes later, I walked into something solid. As I staggered backward, I realized I had run into my horse. I took a moment to reflect upon my luck before taking the reins and leading my horse into Castle Altea. As I approached the torch-lit gates, I spotted Jagen standing on the right side of the gate.

"S-Sir Jagen!" I blurted out.

"Cain. I've been looking for you. Where have you been?" He looked at me suspiciously.

"There… I…" I stumbled on my words as the pain in my back returned out of the blue.

"Calm down." He said as he came closer to me, "What happened to you?" He had noticed the arrows in my back.

"There's something, someone, I don't know. We need to send a group of guards to handle this threat before it escalates!" I said without thinking.

"Slow down, slow down. We don't need to send anyone out here."

"W-What do you mean!?" I began to panic, fearing the consequences of letting my attacker wander the forests near the castle.

"I mean no one is getting sent out here to hunt for a couple of bandits." He draped my left arm over his shoulders and held onto my right shoulder, "Come now. We must take care of those arrows." Using him as support, I slowly walked through the gates into familiar territory. Suddenly, I was struck with a realization.

"Sir Jagen." I said in-between breaths, "Is the 7th Platoon allowed to call upon Princess Caeda for assistance?"

"Of course. You know how important it was during the War of Shadows."

"I… I must get to her to-"

"Calm down. You must get yourself to the clerics before anything else." We walked until we reached the hallway that accesses the 7th Platoon's and 8th Platoon's quarters. He stopped to tie my horse to a nearby post. "I'll take care of it. Get yourself healed up." I stared as he walked down the hallway and knocked on Glacia's door. My horse looked at me as I watched Jagen talk to Glacia. I shook myself from the trance and slowly walked towards the infirmary. I used the walls to support me as I slowly shuffled away at a snail's pace. Once I reached the infirmary, I was quickly given an empty bed to lay in as the clerics saw to my back. Before they had finished removing the arrows, I had already drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Perfect Shot

"Gah!" The sound escaped my mouth as my back made impact with the ground. Blazemane whinnied and ran in circles around me as my opponent approached me. I raised my arm in an attempt to disarm him, but his blade was already at my neck. The sparring was over and I picked myself up after he removed his blade, using Blazemane as support. My opponent left at a brisk pace without a word. "What a gentleman…" I mumbled as I held onto Blazemane with one hand and covered the large slash on my side, "Let's go Blazey." I said and Blazemane slowly walked by my side as we approached the closest infirmary. A cleric quickly came up to me once I arrived at the entryway.

"Are you hurt?" she asked as she examined me.

"I am. I got a large gash from sparring." I admitted as I showed her the wound. She silently nodded and gently led me towards a bench. I sat down and she immediately started healing me. The other clerics tended to Blazemane, gently brushing her mane and feeding her carrots as they checked for injuries. I closed my eyes and relaxed while my wound was being tended to. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming towards me and I slowly opened my eyes to greet them. "S-Sir Cain!" His towering presence startled me.

"Commander Glacia." He greeted me with a smile and sat down beside me, "Something happen to you?"

"I got a little hurt during a sparring session." Right after I spoke, the cleric tending to me had finished and silently left us to our conversation, "What are you doing in here anyway? Were you attacked?"

"I was, in fact. Have you seen a masked and horned… creature around?"

"No, not at all." He gave me a very concerned look and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Hmm… good. I was… worried." He said slowly as he stared at the stone floor.

"Should… should we tell someone?"

"I've already informed Sir Jagen, however he doesn't believe it requires immediate action. Dismissed it as a bandit attack." We sat in an uncomfortable silence as we pondered the possibility of an attack on the castle.

"I'm quite certain the guards would be able to handle an attack." I admitted, breaking the silence.

"Our guards are the strongest in the country… yet I worry they can't." The silence started to settle down again, but was interrupted when Cain stood up, "Look, I'm sorry for bothering you with this. I should get going." I watched him as he walked out of the room, pausing in the doorway to look back at me before walking out of sight. I sat on the bench for a few more minutes before deciding to head back to meet with my platoon. I asked a cleric to lead Blazemane back to her stable before walking out and she silently agreed. I walked through the castle's hallways, lost in thought until I saw two people standing near my room's door. As I got closer, I heard Luke's loud voice.

"Hey! Glacia's back!" he exclaimed as he waved to me, "Where have you been? We assumed you were out training, but I didn't see you out there."

"I just got a bit roughed up. What are you two doing out here anyway?" I said as I joined up with Luke and Rody.

"Luke's been going on and on about wanting a cleric on our team…" Rody said, "After having a mock battle with another platoon that had a healer, she has been the only thing he can think about."

"I will admit, however, a healer would be quite useful." I admitted. Luke excitedly put his arm around my shoulders.

"You see? Even Glacia the Terrible agrees with me!" he exclaimed. I resisted the urge to protest his use of that nickname when I saw Katarina and Ryan turn into the hallway. They were walking towards us quickly.

"Good news! We're going to have a new team member joining us soon!" Katarina excitedly exclaimed as she joined us, "It's going to be a cleric!" Luke's eyes lit up at the mention of a cleric.

"A cleric! I just cannot wait to see how beautiful she is!" Luke's excitement was channeled through his intense grip on my shoulder. Shortly after, a figure appeared in the hallway. "She's finally here! Out of my way! Let me at her!" He freed my shoulder from his grip and pushed Ryan out of the way as he sprinted towards the figure. The rest of us followed him at a slower pace. When I got to his side, I noticed his shocked expression.

"Ah! You must be the commander I've been told about. I am Wrys, a humble curate. I am pleased to meet you!" He smiled as he spoke to me. He was wearing a blue-gray robe that draped over his feet. He had a wooden staff in his hand and his head glistened in the sunlight that filtered through the windows above us. Luke was still staring in shock. "I heard of your achievements here and I would like to offer my services as a healer." Wrys paused for a while once he noticed Luke's reaction. "Are you alright, my boy? You look awfully pale."

"Ah, no, it's nothing," I said, stifling a giggle, "Don't mind him. We're all happy to meet you, Wrys." The rest of our platoon took turns introducing themselves. Ryan finished his last sentence right before Cain found us.

"There you are! Commander Glacia, the 7th platoon is to report to the west side of the castle immediately." Cain shouted at us before running off in the opposite direction, possibly to call out more platoons for combat training.

"Guess it's time for round two." I said as I led everyone down the hallway. Katarina walked beside me while Rody, Ryan, and Wrys followed us. Luke was trailing behind them. I noticed Katarina was holding onto her book bag with a stronger grip than usual and seemed to be lost in thought as we wandered through the halls. "Are you alright?" I asked her, breaking her from her trance.

"I-I'm fine. Just exhausted from the mock battle is all." She stuttered. Her grip on her bag seemed to release slowly as we walked out of the castle's west gate. Cain was already standing there waiting for us. An unknown man was standing there with him, holding a bow at his side. Our horses were also waiting for us. Their caretakers were brushing their manes when we arrived.

"You'll be having a rather unusual opponent this time." Cain said once everyone was within earshot, "This is General Jeorge. He is visiting from the kingdom of Archanea."

"I originally came to instruct Gordin in archery, but once I heard of your platoon's achievements, I wanted to take part in your training." Jeorge explained. As he spoke, the wind picked up his long, blonde hair. It fluttered in the wind alongside his red scarf that almost blended in with his brown tunic. A white bandana was wrapped around his forehead. I could feel him looking through me, as if he can see my very intentions. "Now, take your positions. I wish to see how you fare in battle." A group of swordsmen gathered before him as he retreated behind a long, stone wall.

"Good luck." Cain said and retreated to an area where he is safe from any arrows, but is close enough to observe us. Before we were able to consult Katarina about our battle plan, we heard the sound of feathered wings above us.

"Looks like Caeda's come to join us!" Ryan exclaimed as he looked into the sky. She circled around our area for a minute before descending.

"I heard you were about to start a special training session and I flew over as fast as possible." Caeda said, dismounting her pegasus to join our conversation, "Hopefully I can be of help."

"Thank you for assisting us, we can use all the help we can get. I've heard that Jeorge is a master of the bow and arrow, the greatest archer on the continent. Jeorge, the perfect shot." Katarina said as she rummaged through her book bag, "Ah, found it! Gather around, I have a plan!" She pulled out a loose, folded piece of paper that was sandwiched between the pages of one of her many books and spread it out on the grass. "So, we are here…" she circled an area in the top left of the paper with her finger, "And, from the looks of it, Jeorge is somewhere back here." She pointed towards the right ride of the page where a large wall stood, blocking our view.

"I'd take it that we should keep Princess Caeda away from there?" Rody asked.

"Exactly. She can support us back here." She pointed towards the area near our starting area, "Luke, Rody, and Glacia should mount an all-out attack, charge Jeorge with all you've got."

"Of course! It's what I do best after all!" Luke bragged.

"It's also because archers can't counter attack at close range." I noted, ruining his attempt to show off.

"Precisely. Retreat to Wrys if any of you get too hurt. Ryan, you can help take out the swordsmen. I worry you won't be able to outperform Jeorge…" Katarina continued.

"An amateur like me can't even compare to a master. I'll support the fight back here." Ryan pointed to the area near the swordsmen.

"Are we ready then?" I asked as I got ready to mount Blazemane.

"Ha! We're more than ready! Especially me!" Luke raced to his horse and jumped on. Rody nodded before turning to get on his horse as well. Caeda whispered something to her pegasus before getting into the saddle and taking to the skies. Wrys stood by a nearby wall, taking cover from any stray arrows. Caeda landed nearby with her lance in hand, ready for battle. As her blue hair floated in the breeze, I couldn't help but to admire her beautiful, yet strong stance on the battlefield. Katarina took her place away from the battle and Ryan took position near another wall, opposite from Wrys' wall. Luke and Rody were ready for battle, taking their places on the front lines. I firmly gripped my lance and took my position between them.

There was an uneasy stillness that settled onto the battlefield. Luke and Rody were watching carefully, ready to react to whoever made the first move. I occupied myself worrying about Jeorge's skill and position. Ryan decided to break the stillness as one of his arrows lodged itself in the shoulder of one of the swordsmen. He didn't even flinch and began running for us.

"Split up!" I shouted. Luke immediately charged the right side of the enemy group while Rody took the left. I was left with charging towards the bulk of the group. As I charged, I heard arrows fly past me, some hit their targets and the others hit the grass. A swordsman ran at me at full speed with his sword out in front of him. I used Blazemane's weight to force my way through the crowd to avoid the attack. The blade grazed my hip armor and I retaliated with a swift swipe of my lance. This knocked him down and his blade fell as well. Focused on my recent victory, I failed to notice another swordsman that was coming from my left. I was too late to block the attack, but his attack wasn't able to reach me. A white blur crossed my field of vision and the swordsman was suddenly on the ground. I looked up and Caeda waved at me before flying away for more battles. I smiled to thank her and returned to charging the enemy.

At this point, the group was split into two. Luke and Ryan were handling the right half while Rody and Caeda handled the right group. Wrys bounced back and forth between the groups, healing any injuries he could see. It was as if the Red Sea has parted and a clear path was made between me and Jeorge. Before I could take that path, I felt a strong force hit my shoulder armor. I looked down and noticed it was an arrow. Jeorge is participating now, I thought to myself, I've got to get to him before he hits anyone! In an instant, I whipped Blazemane into a sprint. I heard Jeorge's arrows raining down on the battlefield and the sound of arrows on dirt. Blazemane sprinted around the wall, almost losing control and throwing me off. In front of me was Jeorge with an arrow nocked and ready for me. I raised my lance and charged straight at him. Once Blazemane had passed by him, I regretted this decision. Blazemane turned to face him once again, but I didn't. I had one hand gripped around my lance and one hand around the arrow in my side. I looked up to see him nocking another arrow and aiming it straight at me once again. He expects another charge, I thought as I fought through the pain, change of plans.

"Charge him, Blazey." I whispered in Blazemane's ear. She whimpered at the statement, knowing full well what Jeorge had planned for me. "Trust me." I gave her a few pats on the head and stroked her neck. She looked back at me to ensure that I was positive about this decision before kicking up dirt with her front leg. Jeorge knew the charge was about to happen and pulled back on his bow. Obediently, Blazemane charged him once again. I let go of the arrow and held fast to the reins. I knew that if I didn't succeed here, the battle would be over. Right before Blazemane got to Jeorge, I pushed myself off of her in the opposite direction of Jeorge's position. An arrow flew by Blazemane's hind leg and embedded itself in the ground. Once the dust from the charge settled, Jeorge was met with a surprise attack from me. I threw myself and my lance at him from the dust clouds and felt the force of his bow against my lance.

"Not quite." He said with a smile. He slipped out from under my lance and landed a shot on my right arm. I gritted my teeth as I fought to stand. I saw him ready another arrow and prepared to accept my loss. Before I was able to swing my lance one more time, I heard the beating rhythm of hooves on dirt and noticed that Luke and Rody were riding towards me.

"Watch out! The cavalry's here!" Luke shouted at the top of his lungs and charged at Jeorge with his lance raised, similar to my first attack. Jeorge assumed I was already out of the fight and turned to fire at Luke. The arrow landed and Luke slammed his side into the wall, in pain and unable to properly command his horse in that state.

"Heh." Jeorge softly laughed to himself, but stopped short of a complete laugh. I had thrown my lance to the side, just in his field of view to create the illusion that I had given up. Before Rody could think about his move, I had already made mine. I unsheathed my sword and fought against the building pain to get behind Jeorge. I put my arm around his neck and put my sword's blade threateningly nearby.

"Ah, clever…" he said as he dropped his bow, "You win this time." I released him from my grip and sheathed my sword. I heard the flapping of wings and the thud of hooves on hard dirt. With the battle over, I sat down in the grass and the feeling of pain took over. Jeorge was by the wall helping Luke up. The pain increased as I tried to move around. I was beginning to get lightheaded from the blood loss. I felt myself fall, but I didn't feel the impact of hitting the ground.

"Ah, Glacia, are you alright?" I heard a voice as I closed my eyes and tried to shift my focus from the pain. I felt something warm on my side as I began to feel the pain leave me. In a few minutes, the pain was gone and I opened my eyes to see Caeda's worried face. She had one arm around my back and her other hand on my chest. "Oh thank goodness. I was worried Jeorge went too hard on you."

"Mmm… he was a bit rough." I admitted. I noticed Wrys standing over me with his staff in hand, "Thank you." He gave me a warm smile before Luke walked up to me.

"You alright Glacia?" he asked. I was surprised by his use of my actual name and not his nickname for me, "I hit the wall pretty hard, but you've had it a lot worse!"

"I'll be alright." I said with a slight smile. I took Caeda's hand as she helped me stand. Once I got to my feet and got my lance back onto the side of Blazemane's saddle, Cain and Jeorge approached me.

"You've got a strong fighting spirit." Cain seemed to be writing something in his small book, "That's what I like to see."

"I was certain that once I got a shot in you'd be done for, two max." Jeorge seemed to be both surprised and confused, "I see a strength in you that I've only seen in- oh, never mind. It's just very rare. The strength and the will to keep going no matter what. What is your name?"

"I'm Glacia, commander of the 7th platoon."

"Glacia… I'll remember that name. I look forward to fighting alongside you one day." He turned towards a nearby group of trees and motioned someone over. A small archer appeared from behind the trees and hurriedly ran towards him, "I'm afraid I cannot lend you my aid, but… Gordin, could you go in my stead?"

"Yes, sir. Gladly." The archer agreed and Jeorge left us shortly after. Gordin was lightly armored with just a pair of shoulder plates and a light breastplate. Underneath, he had a green tunic on and cream white pants. Before I could call the rest of the platoon to come and greet our new team member, Ryan had already ran up to him.

"I'm so excited! You're part of our team now, big brother!" Ryan was hugging Gordin around the waist and refused to let go.

"I guess I am." Gordin ruffled his little brother's hair before giving him a hug as well. The similarity between the brothers was astounding. They had the same green hair as well as the same hair style. I noticed Cain watching them intently.

"Sir Cain?" I asked to get his attention, "Do you have any brothers?"

"Brothers… not by blood, but one by bond," he replied while watching the brothers, "He left his role as an Altean knight in pursuit of a more peaceful life. I hope he's safe out there." Before he could reminisce more about the former Altean knight, the rest of my platoon started gathering around us. Gordin had his arm around Ryan's shoulders as he walked towards us. Cain cleared his throat before speaking to everyone, "I've been watching your battle strategies as a team. Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon, of the twenty junior knight platoons, you placed…," he paused to flip through his miniature book, "First! Exceptional work, I expected no less from you."

"I'm glad… I hope my plans helped." Katarina's face glowed with pride.

"Your training is not over, however, so continue to work hard. You may return to the castle at your own leisure." He closed his book and walked back towards the castle. Gordin walked towards me with Ryan trailing close behind.

"Commander Glacia? I apologize. I didn't properly introduce myself," he said as Ryan positioned himself right next to him, "I'm Gordin. I'm a fully-fledged Altean knight, although I still take lessons from Sir Jeorge."

"It's a pleasure meeting you Sir Gordin." I shook his outstretched hand, "Thank you for agreeing to help us." I left the two brothers to themselves and walked towards Katarina. "I'll be heading back in. I need a change of clothes and some time to think."  
"Alright. We'll stay out here a little more. The fresh air is too nice to pass up. I'll see you later." She said and waved goodbye. I turned and walked through the massive gate once more. The towering walls of the hallway never fail to fill me with awe. The sunlight shone through the windows, lighting up the hallways that I've only seen torch lit. I noticed the intricate banners that were draped on the pillars. They were a rich shade of blue and embroidered with golden thread. A simple insignia decorated the centers. As I walked past them, I couldn't help but to stare. They oddly filled me with a sense of nostalgia. I spent a lot of time going from window to window, admiring the delicate stonework and the pots of flowers placed at each one. I went from one hallway to another, taking the time to admire the castle's beauty. Soon, the sunlight waned and the sun began to set. It was at that point that I decided it was time to return to my quarters.

"Oh, but where was it again?" I whispered to myself, "Probably this way." I turned into another hallway, but didn't get far before running into someone. She had long blue hair, reminding me of my own. She had a flowing white dress with a red and gold border at the top. She had an ornate, light blue shirt underneath her dress that was decorated with gold thread. A gold necklace was draped over it.

"Oh… oh my, my apologies." She was started by my sudden appearance in front of her, "You are a junior knight, are you not?"

"Yes, I am. Name's Glacia. I'm here in hopes of being able to become an Altean knight." I replied, "Who might you be?"

"I am Elice, Marth's elder sister."

"Ah, I apologize for my lack of manners." I hurriedly apologized, afraid she may think negatively of me.

"It's quite alright. I find it admirable that you've come to help Marth."

"It's an honor to be able to serve the Hero King."

"'The Hero King'? It does seem that our people have grown fond of calling him that." Elice let out a soft giggle, "But the truth of the matter is that Marth… Marth is just a weak, vulnerable child…"

"Weak?" It never crossed my mind that anyone would see Prince Marth as weak, especially after all of his amazing deeds.

"Yes. As we speak, somewhere unknown to us, our peoples' lives are being lost. Marth cannot save those people."

"That is true. Even the most excellent kings are not able to know everything. He is no more than human; the things he can do are limited."

"Precisely. Most people realize this as reality and come to terms with it. Marth cannot do that. He firmly holds onto his belief that he can save everyone. A single loss is unbearable for him. He suppresses his feelings with all his willpower, but I know that inside, his heart breaks and bleeds…" Her face was filled with worry as she spoke, "In this cruel world, it will become increasingly difficult for him to continue to hold those ideals. Please, Glacia, if you achieve knighthood in the future… protect him somehow and keep his ideals safe."

"I will," I looked her in the eyes as I spoke, "I will protect him with all I've got."

"Thank you." She held my right hand in hers as she came closer to me. Her worried expression was washed away as she cracked a small smile, "Good luck in your training." She released her light grasp of my hand and walked past me. I turned to watch her and noticed a small circlet was resting on the back of her head. I silently vowed to keep my promise before continuing my walk back to my quarters.

It was already dark outside once I got to my living quarters. Before I could open the door, I heard a nearby door open. I glanced behind me and saw Katarina closing her door. "Oh? Katarina, where are you going?" I asked her.

"I found someone in another platoon who could join us. I'm off to talk to her. The rest of her platoon has deserted her and she's the only one left."

"I see. It would be great if she could join us. I have a feeling the battles will become harder from now on." I had a brief flashback to the battle that took place earlier in the day.

"I'll see what I can do." She said, "I'll also be trying to bring along some powerful weapons as well."  
"Weapons? Where from?"

"Well… I guess I have some secret connections. I can't get them right now, but I'll try to get them before your next big battle."

"I appreciate it, but I hope you're not getting involved with anything dangerous. You don't need to go so far for me."

"It's alright. I just want to help you in any way I can," she glanced up and down the hallways before continuing, "Well, I'll be off now." She began walking down the hallway almost immediately after. I hope she's not involving herself with any shady people, I thought. Once she disappeared from sight, I opened my door and walked in. That night, I spent my free time rethinking the events of my battle with Jeorge. I was determined to get stronger, the next major battle was not too far off.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – March Duty

"A march?" I asked as I read the note to the gathering 7th platoon, "Doesn't sound too hard."

"A dip into nature would be good for everyone." Wrys added.

"Is everyone here yet? We must get to the gate soon." Katarina asked as she scanned over the group.

"Everyone but Princess Caeda is here." Rody answered, "She wasn't able to make it."

"That's alright. Since we're all here, let's start walking out." Katarina motioned for everyone to follow her. I walked beside her while everyone else walked at their own pace.

"Will you be alright with walking the entirety of the march? I'm sure Blazemane won't mind the extra weight." I asked Katarina.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She looked distracted as she answered me. I didn't want to interfere with her emotions so I decided not to question her about it. We walked in dead silence until we arrived at the gate.

"Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon! It's about time you got here. We were about to leave without you." Jagen shouted at us from the gate. As soon as we got out into the sunlight and retrieved our horses, every platoon was given the order to follow the path given to them. "Each path has a village that you must receive a token from. This is to prevent cheating. Good luck. I'll see you all tonight."

"I've heard there are squads of knights waiting to attack us out there!" I overheard another platoon say, "There must be some sort of catch." The platoon left shortly afterward.

"Alright everyone, let's start!" I announced to my platoon.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Luke excitedly exclaimed. We started our march on a high note. We passed by the thick forest located outside the castle and startled birds flew over our heads. Soon the castle was out of sight and the only thing we could see was the forest and the path ahead of us. I did a majority of the navigation with the map in my hands. It wasn't long before we came across a bend in the road.

"Alright, if we just go through this forest instead, we can get to the village in half the time!" I told everyone. They nodded in agreement and we began wading through the ocean of leaves and bushes, avoiding the occasional tree trunk or boulder. We trekked through the foliage until the sun shone brightly directly overhead. We were still wading through the thick forest.

"It sure is nice and peaceful in this forest." Luke commented.

"Yeah…" I responded, distracted by the open map in my hands.

"Just walking around here makes me feel… rejuvenated." He continued.

"Same here." I said while still distracted by the map.

"Oh, by the way. We're lost aren't we?"

"Well, uh…" I stalled, "Yes… yes we are."

"Come on, Glacia the Terrible! Wasn't this supposed to be a shortcut?"

"Ah… I'm sorry. I was so certain this was the way…" I looked at the map, retracing our steps over and over again.

"Look, we shouldn't fight over this. Let's work together and find our way back to the main path." Rody suggested, "Let me take a look at that." I handed the map over to him.

"Odd, I don't find this place familiar at all." Gordin said, looking around at the trees, "I've been around Altea several times, how can I not recognize where we are?"

"Let's try walking this way." Rody pointed in front of him, "I need to find landmarks to figure out where we are."

"Argh, we're totally behind everyone else. Altean Knights, lost in Altea. Sir Jagen is going to kill us…" Luke said in a frustrated tone.

"I… I'm so sorry for putting us in this situation…" I apologized.

"It's alright. We'll make in time, don't worry." She said. I bent over to check on Blazemane. She was indifferent about the situation and continued to make her way over bushes and around trees, stopping every once in a while to sniff the ground.

"Ah!" Katarina suddenly yelled.

"What's wrong?" I asked instinctively. She pointed to her right. "I think… over there…" she slowly walked closer to the area in question. "That village! It's under attack!"

"We've got to act fast!" I said. I was about to whip Blazemane into action when Luke held me back.

"Are you crazy? We're lost and late!" Luke held onto my arm.

"Well we can't just leave them!" I looked him right in the eyes as I spoke. He must have heard the conviction in my voice as he immediately let go of me.

"I… No, you're right. We can't." he said with a hint of regret in his voice.

"Katarina, you got a plan?" I asked her. She was watching the village intently.

"Unfortunately we'll have to improvise this time. This is unknown territory for me, I can't accurately lay out a plan." She said, still watching the village.

"Alright then, we'll attack in groups. Sir Gordin, stay with Ryan and Wrys and provide support." I told Gordin. He gave me a quick nod and gathered his team together. "Luke, Rody. You two are with me. Katarina, stay somewhere safe." The two cavaliers gathered around me and Katarina took shelter behind a nearby tree.

"Glacia," she said, "stay safe."

"You have my word." I reassured her. She seemed extremely worried, but she didn't make an effort to stop me.

"Where will we start?" Rody asked with a concerned look.

"Let's start from the outside and work our way in." I said, "I'll take the far side, you two split up on this side."

"On it!" Luke said before sprinting towards the village. Rody hesitated for a while before deciding to run off as well.

"Let's go Blazey." I stroked her neck and she whinnied before taking off. The wind blew fiercely as we blazed through the forest and into the clearing. Soon I had a clear visual of the bandits attacking the village, but they also had a visual of me. Blazemane decided to attack one of the bandits and made a sharp turn towards them. I unsheathed my blade and slashed the bandit as Blazemane ran by. I heard him release a cry of pain before hitting the ground with a loud thud. I scanned the destroyed village for survivors and noticed something out of place. I grabbed the reins and directed Blazemane towards a destroyed house. I noticed a strange figure, but it slipped behind the rubble and disappeared before I could get a good look. Strange, I thought to myself as I directed Blazemane around the destroyed building, I thought I caught a glimpse of a green mask. I decided to ignore it and shifted my focus to fighting off the bandits.

Once I turned, I noticed two of them running towards me with axes raised above their heads. Blazemane reared before launching herself towards the bandits. Her hooves landed on the shoulders of one of the bandits, knocking him down. Blazemane maneuvered herself swiftly around the other bandit and I landed a deep slash on the side of his chest with my sword. I glanced over to the other side of the village to check on the rest of the team. I noticed Gordin and his companions hunkered behind a broken wall firing arrow after arrow. Luke was everywhere at once, but doing quite well. Rody, however, was not doing as well as the others. He got dismounted and was blocking the blade of an axe with his lance.

I was about to sprint to him when I noticed someone coming out of the forest on my right. "Hey! Who are you? You don't look like one of the bandits." I asked him as I rode towards him.

"Your hair… I gather you're the commanding officer?" he asked. I nodded in response. "Very well, I shall join your fight. The name's Merric, a mage from Khadein. Your orders, please!" I was taken aback by how quickly he decided to join the battle, but I didn't hesitate to give him a role.

"Please, stay close to me and provide support with your magic." I told him. He nodded in agreement and I returned to fighting the bandits. Blazemane neighed before breaking into a sprint across the village. Luke and the others were too far from Rody to notice his struggle. His horse had hidden himself in the forest and Rody was left to fend for himself.

"Gahahaha, just die already!" the bandit laughed as he broke through Rody's defensive stance. Rody staggered back a few steps before regaining his balance. Before he could raise his lance, the bandit's axe was already coming down on him. I heard a scorching sound fly by me and the bandit erupted in flames. I turned to see Merric run past me with another fireball ready. Excited for a quick victory, Blazemane ran straight for the bandit. Just as he was able to extinguish the fire on his clothes, I ran by him with my sword outstretched. Blazemane turned around and I saw the bandit fall to the ground. Luke ran over to us and Rody went into the forest to retrieve his horse.

"Is that all of them?" Luke asked me.

"Ye-yes. That was the last of them." I hesitated a little when I answered his question as I had just remembered about the green mask I had a glimpse of during the battle. The rest of the platoon began to gather around us and check on each other's conditions. The platoon gathered the rescued villagers and ensured they were safe before allowing them to return to their homes. Wrys worked efficiently, healing all of the villagers' injuries. I was too distracted to participate and stared out at the destroyed buildings, hoping that strange figure would reveal itself once again. I was brought back into the group's conversation when Katarina spoke to me.

"Um, Glacia?" she asked, "Sir Merric would like a word with you." I dismounted Blazemane to properly speak with him. He was standing there, watching me with a gentle smile. The wind ruffled his rich, green hair and his deep, blue robe. His robe was adorned with golden designs and white cuffs. Underneath, he had a blue-green tunic on with beige pants and tall, brown boots. On his waist were several belts and satchels that carried his various tomes. His gentle, green eyes reminded me of a calm breeze blowing across an empty plain.

"I apologize for my abruptness on the battlefield. Please, allow me to make a proper introduction." Merric said and stepped closer to me, "I am Merric, a wind mage from Khadein and a close friend to Prince Marth. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I'm Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon. It is such an honor to meet you Sir Merric." I said.

"Prince Marth had summoned me to help train the new knights, but I seem to be rather lost," Merric said as he looked around, "Would it be alright if you would show me the way to the castle?"

"O-oh…," my face flushed with embarrassment, "it just happens that we're lost as well."

"Oh dear. Do you happen to have a map by any chance?"

"I do, it's uh…" I said, searching Blazemane's packs.

"I have it, Sir Merric." Rody interrupted my frantic search and handed the map to Merric. Merric opened it up and immediately knew where we were.

"Alright, our best bet is to go in this direction. There won't be a path for a while." Merric pointed in a direction close to the direction we came from.

"Don't we need some sort of token, Glacia?" Katarina asked softly.

"Don't worry about it," Merric said after folding up the map, "I can talk to Jagen about what happened. He'll understand." He handed the folded map to me and began to walk in the direction he pointed out. Slowly, we followed him. Before I left the area, I gave the ruined village one last glance. I scanned the area for a while before I caught another glimpse of the green mask again. Odd, I thought, was that a horn I saw?

"Come on Glacia, don't get left behind!" Rody shouted.

"Coming!" I shouted back. Blazemane quickly caught up to the group and began our journey back to the castle. For the entire trip, I was preoccupied with my sighting of the green mask. I wonder if that was what Sir Cain had seen many nights ago, I thought, and I wonder if Sir Jagen was right.

The sun began to set once we arrived at the path we had left earlier in the day. Our horses appreciated the luxury of not having to step over bushes and those who were on foot appreciated it just as much. Our journey back to the castle ended once the moon was shining brightly overhead. Before Jagen could say anything, Merric ran up to him. They spoke for a few minutes before Jagen nodded and led Merric inside. Merric motioned for us to come in before walking away.

"Ah… we're finally back! Back at last!" Luke shouted in celebration.

"What an adventure that was." Gordin commented.

"It was fun though! I got to watch your archery!" Ryan exclaimed. They soon erupted into an intense exchange of compliments and comments.

"I'm glad everyone made it back without any injuries…" Wrys added as he watched the brothers. After a short period of exchanging stories, everyone started to walk back into the castle, one by one. I was the last one to come inside. As I made Blazemane comfortable in her stable, my mind was still distracted.

"Glacia?" Katarina tapped my shoulder to get my attention, "Is something wrong? You seem more distracted than usual today."

"I… I saw something strange during our battle today." I admitted, "Did you see it? Someone or something wearing a strange green mask? I didn't count it amongst the dead, it's a little worrying…"

"A green mask..? I'm sorry, I don't think I saw anything like that." Katarina put her hand on my shoulder, "It's okay though. We did beat them in the end. Come on, let's go find something to eat. You'll feel better after a nice meal."

"I guess you're right. Let's go." I closed Blazemane's stable door and followed her into the mess hall. I grabbed a bowl of soup and Katarina took a simple ham sandwich. We sat down at an empty table and reflected on our days in Altea Castle. We had flashbacks to the first days in our living quarters and the struggles of the first few combat tests.

"Jeorge was spectacular during that battle. So spectacular I was a little worried he would best you." She admitted before eating her last bite of sandwich.

"To be honest, I did bite off a bit more than I could chew." I giggled at my own mistakes.

"Well, I think you did wonderfully."

"The best part was probably when Luke ran into the wall!" I said, replaying the events in my mind. We both laughed as we dug into our minds for more funny stories to remember.

"I'm so glad I met you, Glacia" Katarina said once she stopped laughing.

"I'm glad I ran into you the way I did." I grabbed a nearby empty cup, "Cheers to another successful battle?" She picked up an empty cup as well.

"Hehe, to another successful battle." She giggled and we clinked the cups together. As I put the cup down, I noticed that my worries had disappeared. I hadn't been able to relax as much as I did in weeks. I heard footsteps nearby and looked up to see Jagen standing in front of me.

"Commander Glacia, Katarina. Report to the throne room immediately. Prince Marth would like a word with you." He said and promptly left afterward.

"Oh… do you think it has to do with the village we saved?" Katarina asked once Jagen had disappeared from sight.

"I have a feeling it is." I replied, "Don't worry. I can handle it." Katarina looked at me with a fearful expression.

"I really hope so…" she said as she cleaned up our table. After she had returned the dishes to their designated area, we began our walk towards the throne room. As we got closer to the heart of the castle, the hallways became more grandiose. The windows became wider, allowing more sunlight to brighten the intricate details of the doorways. Soon, we reached a large room with a blue rug that was almost as large. The rug was decorated with gold details on its edges and its center. A smaller, rectangular rug with a similar design led up to a door that mimicked the design on the rugs.

"This must be it." I said, nervously. I had always dreamed of speaking to Prince Marth in person, but it had never crossed my mind that such an event would be so nerve racking. Katarina was just as nervous as I was, if not more. I took a deep breath and pushed the heavy doors open.

The first thing I noticed was how long it was. The walls and windows were more ornate than the ones we had passed by in the hallways. The floor was tiled and a long rug ran from the doorway to the throne itself. Pillars lined the walls. Prince Marth was waiting for us at the end of the room. The throne kept with the motif of golden accents on a rich blue color. Its size dwarfed Marth in comparison. With Katarina close by my side, we walked down the carpet pathway and stood in front of him. His small, golden tiara glistened as it sat on top of his blue hair. His flowing ocean blue cape covered up his breastplate and shoulder armor which was decorated with gold details. A large red gem held the cape together. His shirt was a bright blue with golden borders which flowed down to his legs. He had brown boots on with a gold clamp that went under the sole and over the foot. He greeted us with a gentle smile as his blue eyes watched us.

"Commander Glacia and Katarina of the 7th platoon, reporting as ordered, sire." I said.

"Please, calm yourselves. You weren't summoned here for a reprimand." He said, possibly sensing the panic that was building in Katarina, "About the incident at the village. As ruler, my duty is to protect my people and I am truly grateful for what you did."

"We're honored to be of service."

"I've heard from Jagen that you two have been exemplary in combat. I've seen your skills and I agree wholeheartedly with him. Should the two of you pass your test, I'd love it if you would become my Royal Guards." His offer took me by surprise, "Stories tell of me as a great hero, but it is not so. I can only do so much on my own. I need people I can trust, those who can support and guide me."

"And you believe that we are fit for such an esteemed duty?"

"Yes, I believe so. I want you to be my Royal Guard, but don't feel obliged to accept the role. I won't think ill of you if you decline. There is no need for an immediate response. Please think it over carefully."

"Of course. Thank you for the opportunity, sire." I said before he dismissed us. As Katarina and I walked down the hallway towards our rooms, my mind was filled with thoughts of accepting Prince Marth's offer.


	7. Chapter 5x

Chapter 5x – Royal Concerns

I let them walk out of my line of sight before I left as well. I walked out of the open doors and a couple guards rushed to close them. I wandered down the grand halls for a while before reaching my destination. I knocked on the door once and let myself in.

"Cain?" I asked as I peeked into the room. I found him sitting at a desk with a lantern nearby, writing something down.

"Prince Marth! What brings you here tonight?" he stopped writing to greet me. I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, but I've only recently found the time." I came over to his desk and sat down on a nearby chair, "Jagen mentioned that you were attacked a few weeks ago. He told me to ignore it, but it has been bothering me. Please. Tell me about it."

"I… well, if you insist." He agreed and leaned towards me, "It all happened very similarly to a bandit attack, but I noticed something… different. Whatever or whoever attacked me had a green mask on and some sort of curved horn. I'm not completely sure as it was pitch black. Don't worry yourself too much about it, it must have been the dark playing tricks on me."

"Do you think your attacker would still be out there?"

"I wouldn't believe so, it's been weeks." He replied. The room fell into a deafening silence as he resumed writing and I sat there pondering the possibilities.

"What do you think of those two? Glacia and Katarina?" I said, changing the subject.

"They're definitely different." He said, closing the book he had been writing in, "Katarina has an amazing ability to plan efficiently and effectively, keeping injuries at a minimum. Glacia has a strong fighting spirit, but she's got a long way to go. There's something special about her, though."

"I have only seen them in small mock battles, yet I feel their strength." I said, "I offered them positions as my Royal Guards." Cain gave me a surprised look.

"Are you certain you should make such a judgment so quickly?"

"I am very certain."

"If you feel so strongly of them, I won't stop you."

"Thank you, Cain." I said as I stood up, "I'm going for a walk around the castle before settling into bed."

"Alright. And please, don't worry yourself too much."

"I will try." I replied and left his room, gently closing the door behind me. The moonlight shone through the windows and the many flower vases glistened. I didn't make it far before one of the patrolling guards questioned me. After ensuring the guard understands what I was doing, I continued my walk through the halls. My mind was distracted and once I had regained my concentration, I found myself in the corridor that led to the junior knight platoons. I noticed two figures in the hallway, bathed in the flickering torchlight.

"Let's get some sleep. We can think about it more tomorrow." One of the figures said and put their hand on the other's shoulder.

"Alright… goodnight Katarina."

"Goodnight, Glacia." Katarina disappeared into her room almost immediately while Glacia stood outside for a while before opening her room's door and entering. I wonder if she has any ideas about Cain's attacker, I thought to myself as I watched her disappear from sight, I just hope she doesn't find it intrusive for me to speak to her so soon after asking her to become my Royal Guard. I waited for a while before walking up to her door and lightly knocking on it as to not disturb those in neighboring rooms.

"Katarina? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Glacia said through the door before slowly opening it, "O-oh. I apologize milord. I didn't mean to be rude." She had a simple, light-blue shirt on as well as white shorts. Her long, blue hair shined and the torchlight emphasized its lightening gradient.

"No, I should apologize for coming to speak with you so late at night. Please, may I come in for a few minutes?"

"O-of course." She said and opened her door enough for me to come inside. Once I passed through the doorway, I noticed the state of her room. Various swords and lances lined the wall opposite of her bed. Her desk was covered in sharpening stones and polishing materials. A few books with loose pages were on the desk as well. In one corner of the desk sat a little, black bag that was tied closed with white string. Her set of light-blue armor hung from a rack near the door. She closed the door and took a seat on her bed, "Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the chair, "You… wanted to speak with me?" I sat down and made myself comfortable. I could feel the nervous tension in the air.

"Yes. Have you seen anyone or anything around the castle with a green mask and some sort of curved horn?" I asked.

"Sounds familiar… Is this about Sir Cain's attacker a few weeks ago?"

"It is, in fact. This is why I wanted to speak to you in private. Any eavesdroppers may spread panic. So, have you seen something like that anywhere?"

"I… I believe I did. It was back at the village we saved today, though I wasn't able to get a good look at it." She stared out the window as she tried to remember more, "I'm sorry… I'm not really much help."

"That actually helps a lot. It means his attacker is still out there." I said and noticed her face lit up once she realized she was helpful, "Can you keep an eye out for this… mystery attacker during your training for me?"

"Oh, of course." She said, "I don't mean to be rude or question your actions, but why are you approaching me about this?"

"I suppose it's because you're the most approachable while maintaining a strong stance on the battlefield." She gave me a surprised look and I stood up to leave, "Look, I'm sorry for intruding on your bedtime. I should leave."

"Don't apologize, sire. I have also been having concerns about this mystery attacker. I must thank you for taking the matters into your own hands."

"I'd do anything to ensure the safety of my people as well as my close friends." I said before walking out of her room and gently closing the door. I took a deep breath to deter my sleepiness before walking out towards the small courtyard down the hall. As I walked out onto the grass, I noticed a light coming from the hall across from me. I guess the infirmary is working overtime tonight, I thought, I hope they don't overwork themselves. I walked to the center and observed my surroundings. Bushes lined the edges and in each corner grew a tall tree where many birds have made their homes. Pathways etched a design into the lawn and benches were scattered around the area. Several were by the edges of the courtyard while others were closer to the middle, seeming to focus on the center. I heard the wind howl overhead. Hopefully this doesn't bring any rain soon, I thought. I walked around the pathways, thinking about the mystery attacker and stopping every once in a while in hopes of finding some sort of clue, as unlikely as it was.

After a few minutes of searching, I heard a rustling of the bushes and a shifting of grass blades against each other. "The walls are too high for wind to blow through…" I whispered to myself. I suddenly had a strong feeling of action, a feeling I hadn't felt since the War of Shadows. Instinct drove me to dive to the left and I did just that. I felt the force of my fall ripple through my arm and a sharp metal clang echoed through the air. I rolled to my feet and reached for my sheath. My hand landed on my empty hip. I looked up to see who it was. The darkness obscured their true identity, but I noticed their bulky form as well as some sort of mask. There, I thought, it's that mask! He was already charging towards me when I noticed I was still empty-handed. I looked to my left and noticed a broken tree branch.

"Whoever you are and whatever your motives are for coming here… prepare yourself." I said as I picked up the branch. His axe came down and I used the branch to push myself out of its way. With all my strength, I brought the branch down on his head and knocked his mask off. In retaliation, he swung his arm at me and knocked me down. He lunged at me, attempting to use his weight against me. I rolled over and reached towards the branch that was knocked out of my hand. I barely grabbed it when I felt his hands wrap around my neck. With a strong grip, I brought the branch down on his head several times until he let go of me. As he staggered from my blows, I brought my leg up and kicked him in the chest, throwing him into the grass. I rolled around and pushed myself off the ground. I walked towards him as he laid in the tall blades of grass, branch still in my hand. He noticed my approaching footsteps and hurriedly got to his feet. He bolted out of the gate and pushed his way through the main gate's guards. The guards rushed over to my location and hesitated before approaching me. One of the guards finally mustered up the courage to speak to me.

"E-excuse me. P-Prince Marth?" he stuttered and I threw the branch to the ground.

"Don't worry about it. I handled it." I said and the guard left to talk with his accomplice. I turned to look at the place where I had that scuffle with the masked attacker. I noticed another figure in the darkness, floating around the area. The moonlight reflecting off of their purple hair confirmed to me that it was Katarina.

"Katarina?" I said, slightly startling her.

"Prince Marth?" she said as she came closer.

"What are you doing out here at such a late hour?" I asked as her face entered the flickering light of nearby torches.

"I heard a commotion and I came out to see what it was. I guess I missed it."

"You should head back inside and rest. I'll handle it. Don't worry." She silently nodded and slowly walked through the hallway once again. As I watched her leave, Jagen quickly approached me from behind.

"Prince Marth! I was alerted by a guard who said you were assaulted. Are you alright? Did th-"

"I'm fine. I'd be more worried about his condition than mine." I said, interrupting his string of questions.

"How did this happen? Why were you out here in the first place?" his questioning continued.

"I just couldn't sleep, I suppose. Who knows how he got past all the guards." I reasoned. After a few more questions from Jagen, I was allowed to leave the conversation and head back towards my room. Jagen stayed behind to question the nearby guards. Adrenaline was still flowing from the recent fight and my heart was pounding. On my way back to my quarters, guards would stop me every once in a while to ask me about the fight and about my physical well-being. I gave them all the same response. "I'm alright, I just fought off a little ambush. Nothing to worry about." I would tell them before continuing my on my way through the hallways.

A few turns and a few concerned guards later, I had finally made it back into my quarters. I slowly closed the large blue and gold door and walked towards a table on the wall opposite to me. I gently placed my circlet down, wondering how it remained on my head during the fight. I shook the thought from my mind and prepared to climb into bed. I hung my armor and cape on their respective hooks and left my boots near the foot of my bed. I snuffed out the lanterns that lit up my room with its warm glow and crawled under my sheets. I spent a long time rolling around before I was able to fall asleep. It wasn't long before a sudden touch on my arm startled me awake.

"Wha? Who..?" I muttered as I blinked myself awake.

"Oh, thank the heavens." I rubbed my eyes and looked up once again.

"Cain? What's going on?" I asked as he sat down on the edge of my bed with his face in his hands.

"Ah… I'm sorry," he said as he took his face out of his hands and stared at the floor, "I just… I guess… I had a terrible nightmare. All I could hear was 'we'll kill him… we'll kill him. We'll kill Prince Marth… without fail'."


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Impenetrable Wall

I picked up my many bags and gathered them with the rest of the platoon's. I kept my little bag close to me, tying it securely to my sheath's belt. We were told to gather our belongings and gather in the nearby courtyard. We were not told the reason for it, but to wait for Jagen to come speak to us. I sat on a bench, spending the extra time sharpening and polishing my lance. Its tip was beginning to dull from all the spars it had participated in. I would look up every once in a while when Luke came back with another load of bags or when Katarina dropped off more books onto the ground nearby. It has been a few days after the incident occurred in this courtyard. As I gazed across the short lawn, I noticed there was no signs of a struggle on the grass. After a fight, I would expect some sort of disturbance in the grass, I thought to myself, still rubbing the edges of my lance with a sharpening stone. After staring at the grass for a few minutes, I directed my focus back on my lance.

"Hmmm…" Luke murmured.

"Is something the matter?" Ryan asked, breaking away from his task of organizing his various arrows.

"Guys, guys, I need an opinion!" Luke announced to the rest of the platoon, "How's my hair look?"

"Your… hair?" Rody asked, looking away from his reading.

"I mean- I'm a soldier of love! I seek out only the most beautiful women, yet I… haven't gotten any dates yet…" Luke admitted.

"Oh, Luke…" Katarina giggled, "I'm sorry to say but, most of the girls here think of you as small fry. They'd think Ryan is a "cutie" or Rody is "ohmigosh, so cool!" Quite a few people seem to secretly lust after Glacia too."

"What?" I said, finally looking up from my weapon.

"Exactly!" Luke shouted, "I wasn't sure at first, but then I realized what I've been doing wrong! It's my hair!"

"I'm not sure what leap of logic lead you to that conclusion…" I said.

"Well, you see. I'll fix up my hair like you do and then they'll see me as brave… and beautiful, just like Glacia! Right?" Luke reasoned.

"Er… Luke, you're a guy. How is mimicking Glacia going to automatically make you gallant?" Rody asked as we giggled at Luke's reaction.

"Well, Luke, maybe if you did something about that attitude of yours, you'd be more popular." Katarina said. Before Luke could retaliate, Jagen appeared in the archway. We dropped what we were doing and gathered around him to hear his message.

"It's been two and a half months since you first came here. During that time frame, I've witnessed many a platoon desert, unable to stomach the harsh training. Not to mention platoons that failed due to miserable results… Of those who walked through those gates in search for glory in the Altean army as an Altean Knight, only twenty names remain." He paused to look at each of us in the eye. His gaze stopped when his eyes met mine. "From now on, the 7th platoon will not only work as one, but live as one. To work as a team, one must live as a team. You are expected to share living quarters similarly to a majority of our knights. This is why I had you move your belongings out this morning. If you would follow me, I will show you to your new quarters." He waited for a while before turning to walk down the hallway. We silently picked up our bags and followed him as he expertly navigated the halls. Katarina hurried to catch up to me as she hauled her various books in her backpack.

"What do you think it'll be like?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure, but I hope none of us will have to share." I said, coaxing a giggle out of her. We took numerous turns and passed by many junior knight platoon halls, now empty and devoid of life. Once we had reached our destination, we were much deeper in the castle than we were used to.

"Take your time to get comfortable and meet me outside by the east gate before the sun is overhead. That is all." He said and took off, possibly to repeat the process with the remaining platoons. I opened the door to find a vast room with wooden flooring and many beds scattered in the middle. Desks and chairs lined the walls and a large rack hung next to the entrance.

"Wow… there's so much room in here." Katarina said as she entered the room.

"The wood floor is definitely an upgrade to the stone flooring we had." Rody admitted as he put his bags down near a bed and began unpacking.

"Guess we'll have a bed and a desk each, huh?" I said while unpacking my own things onto the desk closest to the door.

"Sounds good!" Luke said, excitedly unpacking his belongings, "So, is this supposed to make us better friends or something?"

"I would believe so…" Ryan said, "He did say something about working and living as a team."

"Hmm… odd. We have an extra bed and an extra desk." I said as I grabbed my weapons out from my bag and hung them on the weapon rack.

"Huh. Guess this room was made to fit a platoon of six." Katarina thought out loud as she organized her books. We spent the next hour settling ourselves into the room and unpacking all of our belongings. I finally untied my special little, black bag and put it into one of the desk's drawers. As everyone continued to unpack, I spent my free time observing the room itself. The majority of the room was covered in wood with the exception of the stone ceiling. The provided beds were similar to those in our individual quarters, but the wood seemed to be of higher quality. Underneath the beds, there were soft, blue rugs and a small compartment that allowed the storage of extra blankets. A fireplace was in the middle of the wall opposite of the door and was flanked by Luke and Rody's desks. Soon, everyone finished unpacking and it was decided that it was about time we started to head out towards the east gate.

"East gate… east gate… where is that exactly?" I said upon coming out of the platoon's collective quarters. Rody pulled out a map and began to find where we were.

"Ah. We should be here. Follow me." Rody said after scanning the map for a few minutes. We followed Rody through unknown hallways, occasionally pausing to take in the sights.

"My… the castle is so beautiful, both inside and outside." Katarina said as she admired the decorated windows. We continued walking through the halls for several minutes before reaching a large gate. As we entered the bright sunlight, I noticed Jagen standing with someone I didn't recognize. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed the man had short blue-gray hair. He also boasted a small beard that starts under his lower lip and extends along his face with a small separation between it and his sideburns. He had platinum-white armor on above his blue-gray uniform. He had a flowing cape that was a darker shade of blue-gray and had steel-covered boots. His dark eyes added to his powerful appearance. Jagen stopped mid-conversation to turn to us.

"Oh good. You've made it in time. As you know, training from now on will be far more grueling. As such, we will be introducing lectures to advise you. Frey is the knight in charge of lecturing." Jagen said motioning towards Frey, "Afterward, please continue forward to the river and see Cain for today's battle. Prepare to be pushed to your limits." He said something to Frey before he left us and headed back into the castle. We turned our attention towards Frey.

"As Jagen had mentioned, I am in charge of your lectures so listen up." Frey said in a commanding tone, "First, I'll talk about the preparations you will need to make before a battle. Before stepping foot onto the battlefield, you must ensure you as sufficiently prepared. Starting today, you will be allowed to choose who will come onto the battlefield with you and who should stay behind. Glacia, as commander, you are in charge of making these decisions." He ended his sentence by looking at me, expecting a response.

"I understand. I'll do my best." I said.

"Also, remember to pay attention to your party members. They may wish to speak to you before the battle and speaking to them can have various benefits." He added, "I will now allow you all to make your way to your mock battle today as to not keep Cain waiting. I will see you all in the library later tonight for the rest of your lectures. Please come by any time before midnight."

"Of course. Thank you, Sir Frey." I said before he walked away.

"If you need help with preparations, I'm always available." Katarina said moments after Frey had walked up to the gate.

"And I'm always here!" Luke barged into our conversation before I could get a word in.

"Yes, yes I know. I can hear you from a mile away." I said, laughing slightly, "Come on. Let's get to our mock battle. The rest of our team must be waiting for us." As we walked towards the flowing river, I thought about the decisions I would have to make as commander.

"Interesting…" Rody thought aloud, "With the river, there will be two chokepoints that we can use to our advantage. This is our first time dealing with this…"

"That's true… we're going to need sturdy units to lead the charge across the bridges." Katarina reasoned.

"Do you think I'll be able to help more this time?" Ryan asked excitedly.

"Of course! Your range will definitely help us take out more enemies." I said and his face lighted up with excitement.

"The question is 'who will lead those charges?'" I said, thinking about the platoon as a whole.

"Well, you're our commander. That decision is up to you." Luke said nonchalantly. Before I was done thinking about who should cross the bridges first, we had arrived at the river and Cain was waiting for us with a very heavily armored knight. His armor was thick and covered every piece of his body, including his head. The armor was a deep blue with golden details and accents. The rest of our team was waiting there and Princess Caeda was taking care of our horses. Blazemane looked comfortable with her. Cain noticed us coming towards him and he walked up to us.

"Ah, Glacia! You're here. Let's begin today's mock battle. In this battle, you'll only be allowed to bring in a certain amount of allies with you. You will have to ask some of them to not participate. Your opponent for today's mock battle is Draug." He said and motioned towards the armored knight standing next to him. He took his helmet off to speak to us, revealing his green hair that reminded me of Luke's.

"As Cain has said, I am your opponent today." Soldiers began to take their positions near the bridges behind Draug as he spoke, "If you wish to fight me, you must defeat these soldiers first and prove yourself. I keep hearing about your abilities. Allow me to judge for myself whether or not you're as good as they say." He put his helmet back on and walked across the bridge and stood far behind the soldiers.

"Alright, let's prepare." I said, turning towards my platoon. The rest of our team gathered behind them, "Luke, Rody, Ryan, and… Sir Merric! Please come onto the battlefield with me. I kindly ask everyone else to sit this one out."

"Ah, alright. Good luck out there, Glacia." Caeda said before taking her pegasus and walking towards Cain. Gordin gave Ryan a good luck hug before retreating to the trees along with Wrys.

"Are everyone's weapons ready to go?" I asked.

"Ah… I can't be any more prepared." Merric said as he enjoyed the passing breeze. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's go every-" I was interrupted mid-sentence by the sound of hooves striking the ground. The incoming cavalier screeched to a halt in front of me, breathing heavily. She had short, red hair as well as armor that matched her hair with added golden details. Her armor covered her chest, shoulders, and hip areas as most standard cavalier armor did. She had a long, white bandana across her forehead that draped down from the left as well as dark red boots. She had a lance in her hand and a sword in the sheath on her hip.

"I-I made it… Hey, where's this Commander Glacia person?"

"Um, that would be me, but who are you?" I asked.

"Name's Cecille. I'm a junior knight, just like you! I know this is quite sudden, but I was invited by Katarina to join your group."

"Ah, it's very sudden indeed, but are you allowed to join us?" I asked, concerned there will be consequences.

"Of course! I've had a word with Sir Jagen and Sir Cain. I just ran a bit late is all."

"Alright. I suppose we can fit you onto our team today. Can we talk more after the battle?"

"Sure! Oh yeah, before I forget…" she said, turning towards Katarina, "I brought along those strong weapons you prepared the other day. Just give me the orders and I'll distribute them accordingly!" She detached a large, brown sack and opened it to reveal several, newly sharpened weapons. The steel shined brightly in the strong sunlight compared to the iron weapons we had.

"Ah, ok. I'll take a new lance. Please take the other two to Luke and Rody." I grabbed the sharp lance out of the bag and pointed towards Luke and Rody. As she rode to them, I observed the new lance. The metal was high quality and the shaft was sturdy. I gripped it in my hands and felt a surge of confidence.

"Alright!" Luke shouted as he raised his new sword up into the sky, "Let's do this!"

"Let's go everyone!" I said. Blazemane ran over to me and I hopped onto her back. Luke and Rody climbed onto their horses as well. "Let's ride!" I shouted to the team and we stormed onto the battlefield. "Luke, Rody, and Ryan! Handle the bridge to the right. Sir Merric, Cecille! I'll lead the charge while you two support me on the bridge to the left." Everyone nodded in agreement and we took our positions in front of the bridges. The opposing soldiers readied their weapons as we readied our own. I glanced at Luke and he nodded.

I whipped Blazemane into action and the battle began. Her hooves clanged on the stone bridge and the sound mixed with the shouts of the incoming soldiers. Blazemane turned her side towards the soldier and I raised my lance against his sword. The weapons clashed as I tried to push him down and out of the way. I struggled against his power, but with a sudden, strong push, I made him stagger backwards and I knocked him down. Before I was able to make any progress across the bridge, another soldier had slammed his lance against mine. I heard the sound of flames come from behind and a fireball exploded on the opposing soldier. Taken aback by the sudden attack, he was left open to attack and I knocked him off the bridge. Before the next soldier could get to me, I had crossed the entirety of the bridge and charged at him at full speed. A strong swing of my lance knocked him off his feet and his weapon flew into the nearest tree. Cecille quickly rode past me and Merric followed her with supporting fireballs. I looked over to the other bridge and I saw Luke crashing through a small group of three soldiers. Arrows flew around Rody as he crossed the bridge to assist him. Snapping back to my own battles, I barely dodged an incoming fireball from an enemy mage. Cecille was occupied with other soldiers, so I took the matter into my own hands. I sprinted towards the mage as he conjured another fireball. I extended my lance in front of me and ran through the fire. Blazemane wasn't fazed at all and I landed a strong blow on the mage.

"Good job, Blazey." I praised Blazemane for her courage against the fireball before charging towards another opponent. I replaced my lance with my sword and ran towards another soldier. I extended my sword and Blazemane spun around, executing a spinning attack. The soldier skillfully pushed my blow away from himself and rendered my attack useless. I spun around to give it another shot when I found that I had been surrounded by soldiers.

"Defeat the commander and the battle is over…" I whispered Jagen's piece of tactical advice to myself. I heard the twangs of bows and the flaring of fireballs as I held onto my sword. I felt Blazemane's sudden lurch upward as she jumped to avoid the projectiles. Flames exploded underneath and arrows dug themselves into the dirt. When we landed back onto the ground, the onslaught had not stopped. My left arm suddenly became extremely hot as a fireball exploded. While I was distracted, an arrow landed on my upper back. I barely let out a sound as the pain flowed through my shoulders and I whipped Blazemane into a sprint towards one of the archers. An arrow bounced off of my shoulder armor and Blazemane ran over the archer in front of us. I turned to face the other soldiers to find that they were focused on something else. Luke ran through the ring that formed around me and weapons flew left and right. Arrows still flew and fireballs were still being thrown around. Eager to help out, Blazemane ran towards another soldier. I gave my sword a few swings through the air and it struck the shoulders of many soldiers. Luke went past me and was able to knock over more soldiers. As we met up after defeating all of the surrounding soldiers, the rest of the team gathered behind us. Before we could regroup, there was a loud thumping as Draug began to make his move and additional soldiers poured in from the sides.

"Sir Merric, support me!" I shouted before running towards Draug. A fireball flew before me and splashed on the thick breastplate. Draug made no effort to react to the impact. I decided that I was going to need more accuracy. I gave Blazemane a pat on the side of her neck and replaced my sword with my lance. As we got closer to Draug, I jumped off of Blazemane's back and rolled to safety. I got to my feet and noticed Draug was coming straight for me. Merric's fireballs seemed to make no impact on Draug as he steadily approached me with his gigantic lance. I ran around him to try to find some sort of weak spot, but his armor was impenetrable.

Taking a chance, I ran up to him and swung my lance as hard as I could. The steel bounced off of his armor and he swung his lance at me. The thick shaft knocked the wind out of me as I landed in the dirt. My lance fell to the ground as my grasp slipped. Merric's onslaught of fireballs had not stopped and one finally caused him to react. He took a step backward before continuing towards me once again. I regained my composure during the few seconds Merric's fireball earned and ran to grab my lance. His lance came down on me once again and I rolled out of its path. It struck the ground and dirt flew into the air. I grabbed my lance from the ground and I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey, we're coming! You're not going to get knocked around on your own!" Luke's voice echoed through the air.

"N-no… He's far too defensive. He'll knock you all out!" I shouted back, concerned about how hard Draug was capable of hitting and my friends' health. Rody rode up to me.

"Hah. We finished off the soldiers already and there is no way we're going to let you take this on your own. I'd never hear the end of it…" He grasped his lance and rode towards Draug who was now under assault by several cavaliers, an archer, and a mage. He swung his lance in large arcs, often catching the sides of the horses running circles around him. They neighed in pain, but still followed their rider's orders. Then, I was able to see it. I ran straight towards Draug. Cecille's horse jumped as the lance swept underneath him. Draug countered this move afterward and swung the lance upwards. The attack landed a successful hit and Cecille was in bad shape. He swung the lance upward once again, but the lance didn't make contact. As his body stretched upward, his armor revealed a weak spot. I drove my lance straight into that spot, piercing the leather covering his body.

"Agh!" Draug shouted as my lance dug into his side. I removed the lance and he turned to retaliate. I attempted to jump out of the way, but I was caught on his lance once again. I kept my grasp on my lance, but I was knocked to the ground. The dirt scraped against my armor as I slid across it. The thundering of hooves died down as my team retreated to heal injuries with vulneraries. I pushed myself off of the ground and felt the rumble of the ground as Draug moved towards me like a walking fortress. Once again, I got to my feet with my lance in hand. His armor had noticeable scratches and dents, most likely from the cavaliers on my team. My energy was faltering and I knew I had one last attempt at defeating Draug. Remembering how his armor functioned from my first attack, I ran in with my lance gripped in both hands. Once I got into range, he swung his lance. I swiftly jumped over it and got close enough to him to land a solid blow. I lodged my lance in-between the plates of armor and used it like a lever. I gave my lance a powerful shove and I dislodged a piece of his armor. Noticing the breach in his defenses, he turned to attack, but was unable to turn fast enough. Using the same method, I dislodged another plate and gave him a light slash. He grunted in pain, but still made an attempt to attack me. Once again, I dislodged a plate from his back and ran my lance across his back. His steps became much heavier as he tried to turn towards me. As a last resort, Draug swung his lance in a circle, hoping to catch me in its large radius. I jumped out of its range just in time to call Blazemane over with a sharp whistle. She bolted to me and I quickly switched out my lance with my sword. Time to end this, I thought to myself. Draug stopped his attack and I sprinted back into his attack range.

He noticed me approaching him and threw another attack in my direction. I ran to avoid the lance's sharp tip, but it managed to give me a cut on my right arm. Another swing came after me and I successfully jumped over it. I got behind Draug and grabbed onto the piece of armor that was protecting his upper back. He tried to shake me off, but my hands clamped onto the ridge of his armor. I swung around and got my leg up onto his shoulder. I climbed up onto his shoulders as he raised his arms to grab me. With swift movements of my hands, I removed his helmet, threw it off, and placed my sword at his neck. The sound of dirt on metal stopped and the sharp clang of the helmet on the packed dirt resonated through the air. I took my eyes off of Draug to look at the rest of my teammates. They were standing there, staring at me in awe. Luke was mindlessly rubbing his vulnerary on his injured leg as he sat on the ground.

"S-so… you managed to penetrate my armor…" Draug said as he lowered his arms. Accepting this as a sign of defeat, I removed my sword and jumped off. I dusted myself off and sheathed my sword before taking my position in front of an injured Draug. The rest of the platoon slowly came to stand behind me as Cain ran over to us. "How…? Even my thick armor and powerful defense couldn't withstand your attacks… Honestly, outstanding. Commander Glacia. If you ever have a need of an armor knight's strength, you may call on me… anytime."

"Amazing performance!" Cain exclaimed, "That strategy was… remarkable." Katarina appeared from the trees and began to run towards us. "Draug, how are you doing?"

"I got a bit hurt, but it's nothing Wrys wouldn't be able to handle." Draug laughed as he walked back towards the area where we left Wrys with Gordin and Princess Caeda. Cain went to help Luke and Rody care for their horses and dismissed us, allowing us to return to the castle.

"Glacia!" Katarina ran up and gave me a hug, "I can't believe it. We won!" As she let go of me, she noticed the small gash I had on my arm. "Ah, you're hurt…"

"I'll be alright," I said as I rubbed my vulnerary on it.

"You took on a lot of responsibility today." She said as I put my vulnerary away, "This is the first time you didn't need my help with a strategy."

"Oh… I guess you're right." I said, remembering the sudden creation of my plan for the battle, "I suppose I got a bit excited. I'm sorry, did you want to use one of your strategies?"

"No, it's not that… it's just that you're becoming such a strong commander. I can't help but to feel proud." She said as she gently smiled at me.

"Thanks, Katarina." I said, "But… I couldn't have made it this far without you." Katarina slightly blushed as she smiled at the ground. Cecille walked up to us with her horse's reins in her hand.

"Commander Glacia." she said.

"Please, call me Glacia." I said, turning away from Katarina.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Cecille, junior knight of the former 9th Platoon. I'd like to make it very clear that I will show no mercy for those who underestimate me because I'm a woman!" she said, not noticing how Luke was eavesdropping right next to her. She finally noticed once Luke gave a loud sigh.

"I wished we would get another girl in our platoon… when we finally get one… why is it Cecille, the 9th platoon's infamous violent girl, of all people?" he said, voicing his opinion.

"Oh! You little… Who's the violent girl!?" she said turning towards him with her fists clenched. Startled, Luke fell to the ground and put his arms up to protect himself.

"Yikes! W-wait! Don't hit me, b-be gentle…" he said as Cecille came dangerously close to him.

"C-Cecille, please!" I said, stopping her, "I apologize for Luke's rudeness, but please don't beat him senseless. He can't help himself."

"Good grief. Well, if you say so." She said, leaving Luke on the ground, "I'm your subordinate from now on, anyway. Since I've joined this platoon, I'll fight under you. My life is in your hands." I felt the urge to protest her theatrics, but I decided that aggravating the "9th platoon's infamous violent girl" was not something I wanted to do. She gave me a respectful bow before walking her horse back to the castle.

"Well… shall we walk back inside, too?" Katarina asked as we watched Cecille walk away.

"I think I'm going for a little walk before I get back in the castle. I need some time to relax after that stressful battle." I replied.

"Alright. I'll meet you in our quarters then?"

"Of course." I said. She began to walk away, but paused a few steps away to look back at me. I waved at her and she waved back before continuing on her way back to the castle. Everyone slowly started walking back until Cain was the only one left.

"Not going back in yet, huh?" he said, walking up to me.

"I just felt like relaxing in the presence of nature I suppose…" I said as I thought about walking through the trees.

"Well, stay safe." He gently put his hand on my shoulder, "I don't want you getting hurt." He looked into my eyes for a few seconds before turning to join the rest of the group in walking to the castle. I watched him walk away for a while before walking into the trees. The foliage in this area was thinner than the forest I had to walk through during the short march. It made the walk more relaxing as I went from tree to tree, observing the insects that crawled along the long branches. As I walked among the trees, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia. I ran my fingers through the leaves and remembered my life back at my grandfather's cabin in the woods.

"Careful now. You might find something scary in those leaves." I remember my grandfather telling me as I played in the bushes. That moment was when I had my first encounter with a beetle. I remember being startled, but soon I developed a curiosity for discovering what else hid from me in the bushes. I remember going through all the bushes near the cabin, but not finding anything. I was shaken from my trance as an ant crawled onto my finger.

"How strange that insects were so rare at grandfather's cabin…" I whispered to myself as I put the ant back onto its branch, "Or maybe I wasn't as sneaky as I thought." I continued my walk through the trees until I came across a dirt path. I stepped onto the path to attempt to find out what the path led to. I turned to my right and noticed Prince Marth was coming towards me.

"Ah. Hello, Glacia." Marth said as he walked up to me, "It's rare for us to meet at a place like this…"

"Yes, it truly is, sire. Are you headed somewhere?" I said as my eyes met his. Marth nodded.

"Beyond here…" He said as he pointed down the path, "Lie the graves of the soldiers who fell during the previous war, where their souls lie asleep after giving their lives for the safety of others."

"I see…" I quietly said as my eyes fell to the ground.

"My father among them… So many Alteans sacrificed their lives in the war and I couldn't save them… that's something I must never forget…"

"Sire… please. From the day I decided that I wanted to become a knight, I was prepared to die fighting. Those who fought in the previous war… weren't they, too, prepared to give their lives? I understand that it's painful, but, please, you mustn't brood over this alone." I looked into his gentle blue eyes as I spoke.

"Thank you, Glacia… I'm happy to hear that, but I can't help it. When my comrades get hurt and fall, I can't help but to feel pain…" He paused for a second to keep himself together, "Even if I'm deluding myself, I don't want to allow a single one of my comrades die. Jagen often tells me 'He who leads people must see the big picture.' That if one sacrifices few and saves many, then that was the correct decision to make. I understand what he means, but… I don't want that. I don't want to have to sacrifice someone. Maybe I'm unfit to be king…Perhaps it's a naïve way to think, but that's how I really feel. I can't simply betray my feelings…" A few tears fell and he quickly wiped them away. "Ah… I'm sorry. I must have confused you by suddenly talking about all this…"

"No, sire. I completely understand." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me, still slightly teary-eyed. "I understand that losing a comrade is like losing a friend and I know that it is just as hard to face the reality of things. I don't want any of my comrades to fall. Every battle, I worry that any of my friends will get injured. I want everyone to be alright. I think that, too. Sire, I want to help you accomplish that."

"Glacia…" he quietly said as another tear fell. He softly took my hand off of his shoulder and held it in his hands while making direct eye contact with me. "Thank you, Glacia." We exchanged smiles for a second before he silently left me on the path as he continued his walk to the graveyard.

"Sire…" I whispered to myself as I watched him walk down the path and disappear from my field of view. I walked down the path in the opposite direction Prince Marth went. I occupied myself with the thought of Prince Marth's beliefs as I walked along the dusty path. Soon, I found myself near the east gate. Retracing Rody's directions, I wandered around the hallways until I found the platoon's living quarters. As I entered, I found that everyone was already inside and Cecille was getting settled into her bed.

"Hey! Look who's back! It's Glacia the Terrible!" Luke shouted from the other end of the room. Cecille audibly sighed. Katarina looked away from her book to greet me.

"Glacia, you're back. How was your walk?" she asked.

"It was pretty relaxing." I said as I sat down on the edge of my bed.

"I'm surprised you found your way back." Luke said as he rocked his chair backward.

"Should we start making our way to the library now?" Rody said, ignoring Luke's comment and looking away from the map that was spread across his desk.

"If everyone is ready, let's go." I said as I stood up.

"Is the library far from here?" Ryan asked Rody.

"Well… its a few turns away, but it shouldn't take too long to get there."

"Alright. Let's head to the library then." I announced to the room. Cecille was the first one out of the door and the rest of us followed her. Rody quickly walked towards the front in an attempt to lead the group, but only got himself involved in a power struggle with Cecille. I walked near the back of the group with Katarina.

"I wonder what the remaining lectures will be about…" Katarina thought out loud. I walked alongside her in silence as I wondered the same thing. We walked through various corridors before coming to a large wooden door. A small window in the door gave us a peek at the various books the library had to offer. Without hesitation, Cecille opened the door and we entered the room. High shelves filled the vast room and there was a small area where study tables and chairs were set up. Frey was at one of the tables, surrounded by open books and loose pieces of paper.

"Ah, you're here earlier than I expected. Please give me a moment." Frey said as he continued to write something down. He put the quill back into the ink bottle and stood up. "Are you ready to begin?" We silently nodded and he spread out a large map on top of the open books. "Let's begin. As knights, you should know certain things about the world." He used a few books to weigh down the map in order to keep it flat.

He pointed at the large peninsula to the right of Altea. "This is the Kingdom of Archanea, Altea's suzerain nation. Princess Nyna is the last of their royal line and there was much debate as to who would rule. From what I hear, Hardin was crowned Emperor of Archanea soon after."

"What kind of person is Emperor Hardin?" Katarina asked.

"I don't know him that well myself. However, Prince Marth has told me that he's a wonderful person. He was a very important ally in the previous war. He fought to protect Princess Nyna, who, at the time, had escaped to the Lea of Aurelis. Hardin is well qualified to be emperor. If he puts Archanea into order, I'm sure everything will go well. At least, that's what Prince Marth has told me." He paused his lecture to shuffle through the pile of papers on the table before pulling out a small sketch of a shield. It was very ornate with several large gemstones embedded on its face. "This is Archanea's most valued treasure, the "Fire Emblem". He put the sketch onto the map, allowing everyone to get a good look at it.

"The "Fire Emblem"… I hear Prince Marth fought the last war with it in hand." I said as I gazed upon the details of the sketch.

"That's right. In the previous war, the abominable shadow dragon, Medeus, invaded Archanea. Archanea was crushed by Medeus's troops and House Archanea was wiped out except for Princess Nyna as she had fled before they could get to her. It was her who entrusted Prince Marth with the proof of Archanean royalty: the "Fire Emblem". It is only bestowed upon a true champion, one who is believed to have the power to save the world. Therefore, our connection with Archanea runs very deep. Don't forget that." He spent the next two hours telling us the history of the other countries as well as a refresher on Altea's history. We took a long tour of the library as a result, using the many documents as visual aids. Once he had finished, he dismissed us and notified us of the upcoming lecture dates. I took a deep breath as I left the library with Katarina.

"Ah… that was a lot of information for one day." I said as Katarina covered her yawn.

"Mmm… I agree. It was a lot to take in. I'm feeling somewhat hungry."

"Let's go to the mess hall before we get back to our quarters. I'm feeling a bit hungry myself." I said and we began to walk to the mess hall. When we arrived, the mess hall was bustling with knights. Both senior and junior knights occupied the many seats.

"Sure is full tonight, huh?" I said.

"Yeah. I wonder if we'll even be able to find a seat in here." Katarina said as she scanned the tables. We squeezed through the crowd in an attempt to get to the area where food was being served, but it was impossible, despite our greatest efforts. I saw a hand tap on the shoulder of the knight in front of me.

"Hey, is that your sack of gold?" A voice said as the hand pointed downwards.

"Huh?" the knight said as he bent over and searched the floor behind him. As he searched, his foot got caught on a loose tile and he stumbled out of the way.

"Please, ladies first." I looked in the direction of the voice and found Jeorge standing there with his arm outstretched in the direction of the newly-formed gap. He had a slight grin on his face.

"Thank you, Sir Jeorge." I said with a smile before taking the knight's spot. Soon after, I was able to get two servings of stew. I gave one to Katarina and we walked out of the mess hall, settling with eating outside. We quickly made our way to the courtyard near our old living quarters and sat down on one of the benches in the still of the night. The moon was shining brightly, casting long shadows on the ground. We took the opportunity to relax and unwind.

"The training… it really is getting harder, isn't it?" Katarina asked, mixing her stew with her spoon.

"Yeah, it is. But we have each other. We'll be fine, I just know it." I said.

"That Royal Guard position that Prince Marth offered us… Did you think about it?" she asked, "I feel like… I'd like to be a Royal Guard, if you're in with me. I just know that together we'd be an unstoppable team… When I imagine a future like that, I feel very happy. What about you, Glacia? Do you feel the same way?"

"Yes, of course. I'd love to." I replied. Katarina's face lit up as she heard my reply.

"R-really? I'm so glad." She smiled before finishing her stew, "I'm feeling a bit sleepy. I'm heading back inside."

"Alright. I'll meet you inside." I said as she picked up her empty bowl and left me in the tranquil night. I looked up from my bowl and looked at the starry sky. I remembered my days at the cabin in the woods. I remembered how Grandfather would sit outside with me as we stared at the shining stars.

"Look up there. You see that star shining right there? The brightest one? That's your mom and dad looking down at you. And they're really proud of you." I remembered him telling me as he hugged me. I looked up and saw a star that shone twice as bright as its neighbors. I smiled as a single tear rolled down my cheek.

"I'm going to do my best to make you proud. Please, watch over me."


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The Final Frontier

Several weeks had passed since the mock battle with Draug and training has increased in difficulty as the days went by. We were pitted against well-trained soldiers and their perfected tactics. Ryan had a difficult time staying away from enemy attacks and Rody had fallen off his horse on multiple occasions. Cecille's aggressive tactics often resulted in someone getting hurt trying to keep her out of harm's way. I had sustained multiple injuries and often entered battle with bandages covering my arms. The strain from the rigorous training sessions took its toll on everyone as well as the onslaught of information we were given and tested on during Frey's lectures. Our exhaustion began to negatively affect our performance in battle, but we were still able to form strategies to reduce its effects with much effort. At the end of the third week, we were given a day to rest. The news that we were allowed a day to ourselves was music to our ears and a blessing to our bodies. The following morning, my deep sleep was interrupted by a gentle shaking of my shoulder.

"Glacia. Glacia, wake up." I slowly opened my eyes and noticed Rody was standing over me. I sat up and rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes.

"Is something the matter?" I asked as I noticed that everyone was already up.

"'Is something the matter?' A messenger came by half an hour ago delivering news that today was our final test day." He said as he returned to his bed and sat on the edge with his sword in hand. A rush of excitement and panic washed over me.

"And you didn't wake me?" I asked as I stood up to prepare.

"The training's been rough. Thought I should give our commander more rest. Besides, you're going to need it." Rody said as he rubbed the edges of his sword with a polishing cloth, "There isn't much rush. The test starts three hours from now." I sat back down on my bed with my lance and a sharpening stone. I noticed several chips in the blade. There wasn't much I could do but sharpen it and hope the chips don't cause the entire head of the lance to break. The door suddenly opened and Luke stormed in with several plates of food.

"Hey! I got us all breakfast!" Luke announced and his gaze shifted towards me, "Hey, Glacia the Terrible! Good morning!" He ran over to Cecille's desk and put the plates down.

"Morning. Thanks for bringing so much back to the quarters." I said, putting my lance down and joining the rest of the platoon around the desk.

"No problem! Besides, it's better in here than in the mess hall." Luke said, grabbing a plate and settling down at his own desk, "At least you're finally up. Honestly, I really wanted to wake you up, but Rody wouldn't have any of it! I'm just so excited! Luke, the Paladin of Dawn, is finally going to show his true potential!" I had grabbed a full plate and settled at my own desk.

"Haha, I'm sure you will." I said before distracting myself with my meal of sausages, eggs, and bread.

"I hope the test isn't too hard…" Ryan said.

"It's a test! Of course it's going to be hard as nails." Cecille replied, finally given access to her own desk.

"Don't worry. You'll do just fine." Rody said, contrasting with Cecille's reply.

"Hey, the messenger guy said that we could get help from Princess Caeda and the others. We'll be fine!" Luke said before shoveling food into his mouth. I really hope so, I thought to myself, but no matter what, I need to be on my toes. I quickly finished the rest of my meal and left the empty plate and silverware on the edge of my desk. Doing so, I noticed Katarina's empty desk and realized I hadn't seen her since waking up.

"Where's Katarina?" I asked the room.

"She was with me when I went to get all the food." Luke said, turning around, "She said she was going to eat on her own and spend some time alone in the courtyard nearby."

"You mean the one near our old quarters?" I asked.

"Yeah, that one! She said she'd come back once she was ready, but it's been a while…"

"I'll be right back, then." I said as I got up and opened the door.

"Don't take too long!" Luke shouted as the door slammed shut. I hurriedly walked through the now-familiar hallways, occasionally dodging other knights who were also walking down the same long corridors. Soon, I entered the courtyard and felt the cool air of the morning. I noticed Katarina was sitting on the grass, staring at the green blades that surrounded her.

"Katarina!" I said, walking up to her.

"Ah, Glacia…"

"I was looking for you. I was worried something had happened." I said as I put my hand on her shoulder, "Let's go, it's about time we got prepared to get to the final test." She didn't budge or say a single word. I kneeled down next to her and noticed her moist face, "Katarina… are you crying?"

"Oh, uh… this is… it's nothing…"

"What happened? Did someone hurt you?" I asked as I became increasingly worried, "You can tell me. I won't let someone who made you cry get away with it."

"No… Glacia. That wasn't it. I'm… just sad… I'll tell you the reason later." She wiped the tears from her face and turned to face me, "Let's go get ready for the final test. I'm alright now."

"Are you really alright?" I asked as I helped her stand up.

"Yes… Your feelings alone are enough for me. Thank you, Glacia… for being here for me."

"Of course." I hugged her tightly, "Let's get back to our living quarters." I let her go and she nodded. We had a silent walk back as Katarina wasn't in the mood for small talk. When I opened the door, Luke was already at the door with several lances in his hand.

"Hey, you're back!" He said, moving out of the way, "I was just about to go out and look for you two."

"Is everyone ready to go?" I asked. They looked at each other before nodding in confirmation. Katarina walked to her desk and picked up her book bag. She fumbled inside the bag for a minute before producing a piece of paper.

"I had some ideas last night and I wrote them down. We can try using them for the test." Katarina said, referring to the paper in her hand.

"Sounds like a plan." I grabbed my lance, sheathed my sword, and went to my desk. I opened one of the desk's drawers and opened my special bag. Gently, I pulled out my special necklace and put it around my neck.

"Oh, it's so pretty." Katarina said, turning and noticing the ice-blue stone, "Where'd you get it?"

"It was from my mother. I like to keep it around with me… for good luck." I said, holding the cold stone in my hand. The stone was the size of a gold coin and fit nicely in my palm.

"My… it looks expensive." Rody said, slowly approaching me, "Are you certain you want to take it with you onto the battlefield?"

"I am." I said, "It's protected me since I was a child. I'm certain it will help me again today."

"Well, let's go then. No point standing around is there?" Cecille suddenly said from the door. Our group went through the halls, following Cecille's lead with our minds filled with excitement and the thought of finally achieving our goal of becoming an official Altean knight. The sound of hard shoes on stone tiles filled my ears as I thought about becoming more than an Altean knight. I wondered if I would be able to handle the stress of being a Royal Guard. As I walked with Blazemane' I looked over at Katarina and she looked happy yet lost in thought.

Soon, the stone tiles changed to hard dirt and then to soft grass as we walked out of the main gate. Our horses were waiting for us and their caretakers handed over the reins once we got close. We continued our walk down a dusty path with our noble steeds by our sides. "The test area is apparently a quite a long walk away, but we'll make it in time. No problem." Cecille said, turning to us. I sped up to walk with her, hurrying Blazemane's slow gait.

"Are you familiar with the test area?" I asked once I caught up to her.

"Mmm… somewhat. From what I remember, it's quite secluded. Mountains are scattered around and there is a small lake and small rivers as well."

"Is there any type of cover?"

"Best you can do is hide behind the few trees there or behind rocks. It's a pretty open area."

"Alright. Thanks Cecille."

"Of course." She said and I slowed down until I was beside Katarina once more.

"Katarina, can I have a look at your ideas from last night?" I asked her.

"Oh, of course." She pulled the paper out of her book bag and handed it to me, "Trying to figure out a plan before we get there?"

"Yeah, like usual." I said, opening the folded piece of paper and wrapping Blazemane's reins around my arm. The paper was filled with sketches of battlefields with arrows filling the empty spaces. Many of her strategies involved some sort of cover, but that wasn't much of an option. As I scanned the paper, one strategy stuck out. It involved some sort of body of water and pure force.

"What's this one about?" I asked Katarina, pointing towards the small sketch.

"Oh, it's just something that came to mind when I thought about your fight with Sir Draug." She said and pointed at the sketch of an armor knight falling into the water, "Since the armor is hard to get through, it will be easier to knock them over instead of trying to cut through them. Once they're wet, it will be much harder for them to move, making them easy targets."

"Ah, of course. It's genius." I said, causing Katarina to blush at the compliment, "This may help us today. Cecille says there will be small rivers on the battlefield."

"If I remember correctly, we are only allowed to take two other allies with us onto the battlefield. I think one of them should be Sir Draug. His strong armor could help us."

"I agree. I think Princess Caeda can help by attacking those who are on the other side of a river."

"I wonder if there will be any archers…"

"If there are, I'm certain we can maneuver around them appropriately." I said before noticing the towering mountains that had come into view, "I think we're almost there." The sound of hooves on dry dirt echoed through the mountains as a dust cloud came towards us. Cain soon emerged from the cloud with Jagen following closely riding his highly-decorated steed. They slowed to a walk before stopping in front of our group. I quickly came to the front of the group.

"Glacia's 7th Platoon! You have fought valiantly thus far and I have enjoyed watching your victories. It has been a joy being your instructor." Cain said as Jagen stepped forward.

"I have heard reports from both Cain and Frey. Your individual strengths many vary, but there is no doubt about your excellence. Today, we will hold your final exam. Ensure that you are thoroughly prepared. Walk through the trees ahead once you are prepared and the final exam shall begin." Jagen paused for a moment to ensure that everyone heard his message before riding into the exam area.

"Your other allies will arrive soon. Good luck." Cain smiled and followed Jagen. I heard the familiar flapping of a pegasus' wings and turned around to see the rest of our team coming towards me. Princess Caeda landed and her pegasus slowly walked over to me. It gently pushed its head into my chest.

"Looks like she's starting to like you." Caeda giggled. I gently put my hand on her head and stroked her mane. Her blue eyes looked straight into mine as I remembered the many times she had saved me during the small mock battles my platoon participated in. Blazemane sighed loudly in approval as she watched the pegasus.

"Princess Caeda, Sir Draug. Please, join us for our last battle as junior knights." I said, looking away from Caeda's pegasus, but keeping my hand on her soft mane.

"Of course. I'll do what I can." Draug said as his armor clanged with his movements. His armor was no longer the impenetrable suit of steel he had on during our battle from several weeks before. "It's just for training purposes. The heavy plates are not practical in a real battle." He had explained a week before. His armor was slightly lighter with several exposed parts, but his armored parts were still just as thick. He carried a large shield as well as a lance that was just as big.

"I'd be happy to help." Caeda said. Her pegasus slowly removed her head from my chest and turned towards our destination.

"The rest of us will watch your battle from afar." Merric said cheerfully, "I'm looking forward to watching you earn another victory."

"Thank you for your positivity Sir Merric, but I'm not sure if victory is so certain…" I said in response to his comment.

"I'm sure you'll be fantastic." He said with a warm smile. I smiled back before speaking to the entire group.

"Everyone ready? Let's go!" I announced and we made our way to the final exam area as one large group. We walked through a thin strip of forest and entered a large plain area. Mountains could be seen and a two rivers cut through the landscape, but stopped short of splitting the land into pieces. The rivers were connected to a small lake to our right and small groups of trees grew around in random areas. Cain was standing with Jagen near a tent, presumably waiting for our arrival. A young cleric could be seen sitting inside. Cain approached us and Jagen retreated an area that was far away enough as to not interfere with the battle about to take place. Our allies who were not participating in the test followed him.

"The final preparations have been made! We are now ready to begin!" Cain spoke loudly to override the sound of moving water, "These tents have been set up and may be utilized for healing any wounds you may have, but don't take too long. Those who are mounted, once you fall to the ground, the fight is over for you. For your final exam, your opponent shall be…" Cain paused to unsheathe his sword, revealing its shiny steel blade and crimson red hilt, "Myself: Cain, knight of Altea! I may have gone easy on you before, Glacia, but this time I'll show you the sort of battle that real knights face!" His horse reared, flailing its front legs and neighing loudly. Various types of soldiers ran to their positions with weapons in hand. The loud clangs of armor echoed from the armor knights and the footsteps of swordsmen disturbed the birds resting on nearby trees. I noticed a few archers taking positions near trees and tents and I worried about Caeda. Cain sprinted towards the northwest corner and stood there, waiting for our arrival.

"Well, you got a plan?" Cecille asked, stopping her horse next to me.

"I do. Everyone, gather around!" I shouted and we formed a small circle, "Princess Caeda, there are archers present, so please keep away from them. There is an area in the river closest to us that we can cross. Sir Draug, guard that chokepoint with Ryan. He will provide support from the rear. Once possible, Luke will push through and drive the opposing force backward and thus claiming the first tent. I will take Rody and Cecille with me and go past this mountain here to our left and push them back that way. As we push ahead, aim for the northwest corner. Sir Cain will be waiting for us there. He can't face us all at once. Caeda will provide air support to whoever needs it. Any questions?" Katarina raised her hand.

"About the armor knights…" she said, reminding me of her strategy.

"Ah, of course. If you're having trouble with an armor knight and water happens to be nearby, knock them down instead of trying to penetrate their armor. This piece of advice can be difference between victory and defeat." I informed the team, "If no one is in need of a weapon change, let's begin!"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted in unison before spreading out and taking positions based on my strategy. I climbed onto Blazemane's back and took my position at the foot of the nearby mountain as Cecille and Rody stayed close behind me. I grabbed my lance from its holster on the saddle and felt its wooden handle. I glanced at the steel tip as it shone in the sunlight. Ready for a good fight, I looked up and locked onto the armor knight that was in front of me. The sound of loud splashing rippled through the air as Draug moved into position, signaling the beginning of the battle.

The armor knight in front of me readied his lance and threateningly walked towards. Blazemane, excited for a taste of action, ran towards him. With my lance at the ready, I directed Blazemane around the knight. Once the knight was between me and the river, I turned and charged at him, executing Katarina's strategy. A strong thrust of my lance sent him staggering backwards and falling into the knee-deep water. Fighting against the flow of the water, the knight slowly stood up with his lance pointed towards me. Using my advantageous position, I knocked the lance out of his hands with my own lance before sprinting off to assist Cecille and Rody. They had occupied themselves with a small group of swordsmen. Cecille was cutting through them like butter, but Rody was having a harder time as their sharp blades sent his horse into a panicked fury. I intercepted a swordsman's charge and knocked him off his feet. Blazemane joined the fight, using her powerful kicks to send them flying. Coordinating our attacks, Cecille and I were able to eliminate the swordsmen that surrounded Rody, somewhat calming his horse down.

I glanced over my right shoulder to check on the other half of the battle. Draug was taking multiple blows to his shield, but he held his ground. Ryan was slowly picking off stragglers while Luke was having a duel with an armor knight. I turned back to my side of the battle in time to notice the arrows flying past me. Several archers were positioned behind rocks and were firing arrows at an alarming rate.

"Quick, get around them!" I shouted at Cecille and Rody. They quickly nodded before rushing towards the archers. I ran directly at the archers while the other two took an indirect approach. Startled by my direct charge, the archers fell back and hid behind the rocks. Distracted by their efforts to keep away from my lance, they were left open to attacks from Cecille and Rody as they charged in from the sides. They were taken out of the battle in the blink of an eye. As soon as I caught up to them to join their charge towards Cain, I heard Cain's loud voice.

"Now! Reinforcements attack!" A wave of noise drowned out his voice as cavaliers appeared from the forests and additional swordsmen came out of the nearby tent.

"Fall back!" I commanded. Rody sprinted away instantly, rushing past me. Cecille hesitated for a second before joining Rody in a retreat. I fell back last and I could hear the sound of thundering hooves get closer every passing second. I noticed that Draug's team was falling back as well, being pushed back by axe men and cavaliers. Caeda was circling overhead, unable to find an opening. I turned Blazemane to a screeching halt and faced the incoming cavaliers. I adjusted my grip on my lance before starting a counter charge. All but one cavalier steered out of the way. Our eyes were transfixed on each other as our horses went on a collision course. At the last second, I turned Blazemane to intercept his straight path and used a swing of my lance to knock him off. The quick turn allowed Blazemane to make it to the other side safely as the enemy horse ran by.

The cavaliers attempted to surround me with their sheer numbers, but their plan was thwarted by Cecille as she charged straight through their ranks. Rody rode close by and eliminated those who were lucky enough to get out of Cecille's path of destruction. I left the remaining enemy cavaliers to challenge the approaching group of swordsmen. I gripped onto Blazemane's reins before she flew into a sprint. With my lance in hand, I swung at those who were unlucky enough to avoid Blazemane's hooves, but still remained in the range of my lance. Every swing knocked down several swordsmen at once. I made extra laps through the group until there was no one left standing. I looked over at the other half of the battle to see Caeda and Draug successfully pushing the enemy back as Luke and Ryan provided support. Cecille and Rody had finished off the cavaliers and rode towards me.

"They're about done. We should rush Sir Cain before any more reinforcements appear." Rody said, breathing heavily.

"By 'we' you better not be including yourself. You're injured; the only thing you need to rush to is a cleric." Cecille remarked.

"Agh… right… I'll join up with you as soon as I can." Rody said reluctantly before riding to the closest tent.

"Let's get going, Glacia." Cecille said, already running towards Cain's position. I followed her as she began to break into a sprint. Soon, Cain was visible and Cecille was visibly excited to confront him. She shot ahead of me, but I made no effort to match her pace. Before she was able to get close to Cain, a group of cavaliers appeared from a nearby forest and rushed towards her. She changed her course to avoid them, but they followed her every move. She sprinted into the small forest from which they came and the cavaliers followed her, disappearing into the green foliage. I didn't let it deter me and I stopped several feet in front of Cain with my lance at the ready.

"Ha! Commander Glacia, you're finally here. I'm surprised my reinforcements weren't able to keep you company for very long. Anyhow, let's get to the matter at hand. Give it your all!" Cain shouted before charging at me at a vicious speed. His speed took Blazemane by surprise and she attempted to jump out of the way. Cain's lance scraped her thigh, leaving a long gash. She whimpered as the pain set in. I stroked her neck in an effort to comfort her before I turned to face Cain once again. He charged at me once again, but I kept my ground. I grabbed my lance with both hands and held it up to block the incoming lance. The weapons clanged as they made contact with each other. I fought with all of my strength to gain ground, but Cain's pure strength was breaking through my defensive tactic. I abandoned my plan and allowed Cain's lance to slide off of mine, nearly hitting Blazemane in the process. Using the small window of opportunity I had given myself. I thrust my lance forward towards his stomach where there was a gap in his armor. As soon as I felt the tip encounter resistance, I moved the lance in a sweeping motion, leaving a deep wound. I went in for another slash, but a horrible sound filled my ears. The tip of my lance scraped against his breastplate, and with a small clink, the tip shattered. Cain took advantage of the opportunity to land a clean blow. In vain, I raised my arm to defend against the attack, but his lance left a deep cut in my arm. I rode Blazemane out of his range as quickly as I could while I wrapped a bandage around my arm. Cain didn't make an effort to come after me.

I turned towards Cain as I while I was wrapping up my arm and noticed he had suddenly began to charge at me. Unarmed, I was unable to retaliate and I felt the power of Cain's lance hit me in the chest. The force of the blow knocked the air out of my lungs and I flew off of Blazemane's back. I closed my eyes and braced for impact, but, instead, I felt the hardness of a horse and the tickling of soft hair. I opened my eyes to see Princess Caeda holding onto my chest as we flew higher.

"Come on. Get on." She said as she helped me get on top of her pegasus. Her pegasus snorted as I got myself situated, "Cain said it's over when you hit the ground. This technically isn't the ground."

"Right." I said as she fell to a lower altitude. I looked down and noticed Blazemane was right below me, chasing after me. She looked up at me and I gave her several hand signals.

"You've trained her well haven't you?" Caeda asked.

"I… never trained her. It's like she knows what I want." I answered, preparing to dismount.

"You must share a deep bond with her."

"I do… I don't mean to cut this conversation short, but I believe this is my stop." I gripped onto the large wooden pole that was in my hand, the remnants of what was once a steel lance. Caeda dipped to the left and I jumped from her pegasus. I kept my arms outstretched until I felt Blazemane's thick neck within them. She had jumped up to meet me halfway as I had instructed her to. I held on tight as she landed on the ground once again. I quickly sat up and held the broken lance at my side. My eyes met Cain's and the battle resumed. We charged at each other at full force. I raised my wooden stick as Cain raised his steel lance. Once Cain was close enough, I threw the pole like a javelin, striking his arm, moving his lance upwards. I slipped underneath his lance, quickly unsheathed my sword, and swung it as hard as I could. I felt the blade meet with a heavy mass as I rode by. I turned around to continue the fight when Cecille thundered ahead from behind. Coming to a sudden stop, she turned to give me a look of surprise. The rest of the team had begun to congregate on the other side of the battlefield, but were not rushing in to fight. I spotted movement in the corner of my eye and turned my attention towards it. Cain's horse was standing calmly as a cleric stood by with her Physic staff, its blue orb glowing slightly.

"Impressive..!" Cain pushed himself off of the ground and walked towards me while being bathed in a pale blue light. His wounds slowly disappeared as time went by. "Most impressive. I didn't expect anything less from you, Glacia. Congratulations, you won! There is nothing more we can teach you." Jagen rode out of the forest he was hiding in and the remainder of my allies followed him out into the sunlight.

"Hm… Well then. Glacia's 7th Platoon, gather around! I will announce the results of the second half of your training right here, right now." Jagen paused to allow everyone to gather around him before he continued, "From what I've seen personally as well as what has been reported to me, your performance has been most impressive! Even amongst the past Altean knights, there has not been a group with such high credentials as yours. Therefore, Glacia's 7th Platoon, I have decided that you have passed your final test!" Everyone burst into a flurry of excitement.

"We passed… So that means we're…" Ryan started.

"Alright!" Luke shouted as he jumped off of his horse and ran to me, "We did it! We can become knights!" The senior knights stood by as we gathered together to share our victory.

"We did it. I can't believe it! After this, I'm going to buy myself a nice sword, and a hefty lance… Oooh, it's getting me excited just thinking about it! Heh heh heh…" she quietly chuckled at the thought of getting new weapons.

"…Cecille, you're scaring me… but you're not alone in excitement. I have finally realized my lifelong dream." Rody said with a big grin on his face. This was the first time I had seen Rody so happy. I couldn't help feeling happy for him.

"Everyone looks so happy. We're all going to become knights! We really did it, Glacia. All our hard work has paid off!" Katarina stood by my side as she observed her celebrating team mates.

"I've made it. We've made it. We'll become Altean knights, just as we always said we would during our down time. We can work for Altea and serve Prince Marth. It's like a dream come to life, I've all the reason to be happy." I said as I remembered the struggles my teammates faced during our journey to achieving our dream.

"Indeed. I'm happy too… I… I can't wait for what the future holds for us." Katarina said, wiping away a tear.

"Neither can I. Whatever may be waiting for us, we'll be ready." I said before Caeda walked her pegasus towards me. I dismounted Blazemane to greet her, leaving my broken lance in its usual place. Her pegasus was happy to see me, but she seemed worried about my bandaged arm. I gave her a reassuring pat on the head as she gently nudged my arm.

"You've done exceptionally well, Glacia. I'm quite impressed myself." Caeda said, congratulating my victory.

"Thank you, Princess Caeda. I'm honored to be recognized by someone of your caliber." Caeda blushed slightly at my compliment.

"Shall we celebrate this victory?" Caeda announced to everyone, "I had a feeling the 7th Platoon would prevail and have prepared a celebratory meal in advance. Come now, it should be ready." She began walking back towards the castle and everyone followed her in a cheerful commotion. The senior knights stayed towards the back of the group while our platoon stayed close to Princess Caeda as she led us. We took a turn onto a nearby forest path and soon found ourselves at a plain with multiple tables and tents set up. Smoke billowed into the crisp blue sky as pots of soup cooked and meat roasted. Numerous men and women tended to the pots while others prepared other dishes.

"Oh, Princess, you didn't have to." I started to say.

"Please, don't worry about it. It's just a little gift from me to you." She said, looking into my eyes, "It's about time you got to enjoy yourself and maybe you can get to know us better. You're about to be around us a lot more."

"I can't thank you enough." Caeda smiled in response before leaving to speak with one of the chefs with her loyal pegasus at her side. Soon after, she motioned for us to come and we scattered to get to our seats. I sat next to Katarina as we enjoyed a full-course meal, one that we had only dreamed of. We sat in the shade of overhead tents and we exchanged stories and memories with each other. We'd laugh as Luke told us stories of his attempts at getting a girl in the castle and we'd reminisce about past battles as Rody talked highly of Katarina's strategies. Every once in a while, Cecille would talk about the 9th Platoon, complaining about their shortcomings. Ryan often spoke of his brother and what life was like before Gordin gained knighthood. Katarina kept to herself, but could never resist putting in her two cents.

"Well, what about you, Glacia?" Rody said right as he finished his plate, "Do you have any stories to tell?"

"I do." I said with a smile, quickly glancing down at my necklace, "I think this happened several years ago. I was outside my grandfather's cabin and I was playing in the woods. I remember coming across a small pond and spending a long time at its edge just staring at my own reflection. When I finally took my eyes away from the water and turned around, there was a big, gray wolf standing there. I remember being absolutely terrified as I was out there on my own. It… It jumped at me and I ducked, covering my head with my hands and I hoped it wouldn't get me. I think I heard the wolf landing on the ground, but when I got up to see, it had been frozen solid. Then, I saw my grandfather standing in the trees with his hand out before he rushed towards me. My special necklace was with me during that time and I like to believe it gave me the luck to survive."

"Your grandfather… he was a mage?" Katarina curiously asked.

"Not at all. He was a powerful paladin when he was younger, which made the situation stranger." I said as I gently held the ice-blue stone in my fingers.

"Could have been a stranger passing by." Rody reasoned.

"It could have, but it was rare for us to have visitors in our little section of the woods." I said, thinking about the forest I used to know so well. The sun was getting lower in the sky and the chefs had begun packing up their equipment.

"Well, I'm already exhausted. I'm getting back to our quarters." Luke said as he stood up.

"I'll come with you." Rody said. Cecille, Katarina, and Ryan agreed to come with them as well.

"I think I'll stay out here a little while longer." I said as everyone grabbed their equipment and their horses.

"Alright, we'll see you later then!" Luke shouted as he jumped onto his horse's back and raced into the forest. Everyone else slowly followed him, disappearing into the thick trees one by one. I sat at the empty table on my own, using the quiet opportunity to reflect on my achievements as well as achievements I had yet to attain. My train of thought was interrupted when Cain took a seat beside me.

"Hey, Glacia. Why are you here all by yourself?" Cain said, crossing his arms on the table.

"I guess I just wanted some time to myself to think." I replied.

"Ah. Well, I just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed our battle earlier today."

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much…"

"It's quite alright. I'm used to it. It's part of the job, I suppose." He paused as a strong breeze blew through the plain, slightly ruffling his crimson red hair, "You've grown so much since your first day. Our battle was surprisingly refreshing." His eyes wandered as he seemed to lose himself in thought before smiling to himself, "The thrill of new opponents and new strategies to fight against. I suppose that's why I enjoy being an instructor."

"And you're quite good at it, too."

"You really think so?"

"Of course. Your instruction was what helped me achieve so much." I assured him as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm glad I could help." He said. Before we could continue our conversation, Jagen came by our table and motioned for Cain to follow him, "Well, it was nice talking to you. I'll see you tomorrow at your knighthood ceremony." Cain said as he stood up and followed Jagen. I noticed that they stopped halfway across the plain. I wasn't able to decipher what they were talking about so I decided that it was about time I came back into the castle. I came over to the makeshift stables and led Blazemane out of her pen. She seemed excited to finally leave the small enclosure. As I stepped onto the same forest path that Princess Caeda had led us through, I noticed Merric was a few steps ahead of me. He was walking slowly, taking in the breeze as they passed through the trees.

I walked up to him and was a few seconds from speaking when he spoke first. "Glacia, did you need something?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you, Sir Merric." I said as he turned to face me.

"It's quite alright. Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"Yes, actually. You're quite close to Prince Marth and I will soon be tasked with protecting him. I feel that I should get more familiar with him." Merric laughed softly before speaking.

"What you see is what he is. Compassionate, kind, and hates to see his friends get hurt more than anything else. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about getting to know him. It'll happen naturally. He's known for getting close to his knights."

"Which is why I worry." I said and Merric's smile disappeared.

"I worry as well. The last war was not kind to him. I fear that future conflicts may open up old wounds." Merric stared at the castle in the distance, "I'm confident this peace will last for decades, but that fear never goes away."

"I've made a vow to Princess Elice that I would keep him safe. I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to accomplish that."

"You'll be fine. Together with Katarina and the rest of the 7th Platoon, I haven't a doubt in my mind that Marth will be in good hands." Merric said as his smile returned to his face, "I have complete confidence in your abilities."

"Thank you, Sir Merric. I don't mean to be rude, but why are you so confident in me when I have much I've yet to learn?" I asked him as he closed his eyes. A pleasant breeze passed by before he looked at me.

"I'm not too sure myself. I suppose it's just a hunch." He admitted, turning to see the setting sun, "It's getting late. Care to walk with me back to the castle?"

"I'd love to." I said before beginning to walk down the dirt path with Merric at my side. Several minutes passed before Merric broke the silence.

"Have you ever fallen in love before?" He suddenly asked. I gave him a look of surprise. "Apologies, it was quite an awkward question."

"Don't apologize. I never really thought about finding love before. It just took me by surprise. Why do you ask?"

"Ah, well, I was hoping you could sympathize with me. I haven't been able to take Lady Elice off my mind."

"Lady Elice? You mean Prince Marth's elder sister?"

"Yes. I can't stop thinking about how I wasn't able to protect her during the war and worrying about her safety…"

"Once I am officially given the title of Royal Guard, I vow to protect the Altean royal family. I'll work vigilantly to protect Prince Marth and Princess Elice equally. I hope I can help ease your worries."

"Under your careful watch… Yes, it does ease my worries. I must thank you for your undying loyalty to your kingdom, but, please, don't take any drastic measures. I concern myself with your wellbeing as well." Merric said as the tall castle gates came into view. A guard walked up to me and offered to lead Blazemane back to her stables. I gave him the reins and watched him disappear around the castle wall. We walked through the gates and entered the torch lit hallways, "I'll be heading to Marth's chambers. I'm assuming you know your way around by now?"

"I'll find my way around." I said, looking around and trying to remember the way back to the collective quarters.

"Alright. Take care." Merric said with a smile before walking down one of the hallways and disappearing around a corner. I searched the hallways until I could find something familiar. After several minutes of wandering through the hallways, I finally found myself standing in front of the quarters. I entered the room and noticed everyone was in high spirits.

"Glacia, you're back!" Katarina said as I closed the door.

"We were just talking about catching some sleep early." Ryan said from his bed, "Luke says he can only remain calm if he's asleep."

"I can't help myself! My hard work has finally paid off!" Luke said as he sat on his desk, "So how about it?"

"Admittedly, I am quite exhausted. I'll second that notion." I said, removing my armor and hanging it on the racks.

"So it's settled. It's quite a big day tomorrow. It's best to get some rest." Rody said, leaving his desk and preparing to settle into his bed. Luke did the same.

"Tomorrow… It truly is a big day…" Katarina said as she closed her books. We spent several minutes removing our armor and properly storing our weapons before we were able to get under our sheets.

"Sleep tight everyone." Cecille said, snuffing out the last lantern and plunging the room into darkness. I closed my eyes and immediately drifted into a pleasant dream.

In that dream, I was back at Grandfather's cabin. I felt the wind as it blew through the woods and smelled the scent of flowers blossoming. I was sitting on the stairs that led up to the front porch and I felt the wood underneath me. I looked into the sky and a dove suddenly flew out of the trees. A dark, bigger bird followed right after it. A memory popped into my head without warning and I stood up as fast as I could. I ran through the front door, but came to a screeching halt. The cabin was pristine as if the attack never happened. I heard the sound of a door opening and turned to face it. I was able to recognize the figure that appeared from the open door as my grandfather before I was taken out of the dream.

I opened my eyes and saw the door gently close in front of me. Quietly, I sat up on my bed and lit a small lantern. I looked around the room to see if anything was out of place. Everyone was sound asleep. I turned to Katarina and noticed her bed was empty. Carefully, I got onto my feet and cracked the door open. I held my breath until I was able to step outside without waking anyone. I turned and found her leaning against the wall and staring up into the ceiling.

"Katarina, what are you doing up so late?" I asked as I joined her on the wall.

"Ah, Glacia… I can't seem to sleep. What about you?"

"I just woke up from a strange dream… Is something bothering you?"

"I… well… I suppose there's a lot on my mind right now. Have I ever told you about the town I was born in?"

"Now that I think about it, you haven't. It wasn't Altea?" She shook her head.

"I was born in a town called Knorda. Have you ever heard of it?" I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head.

"It doesn't sound familiar. Is it in Archanea?" I asked while I shifted my gaze from her face to the dark ceiling.

"I… don't know. In that town, Knorda, I was treated like an animal, beaten for fun." Katarina paused for a second to sit down. I sat down with her as she continued. "Whenever I couldn't stand the pain, I'd just close my eyes and think of nothing, taking refuge within my heart's confines…"

"Katarina…" I said softly, inching closer to her and putting my arm around her shoulders.

"But someone was there to save me. She showed me the meaning of life. I felt that I would do anything for her… Glacia, do you have someone like that in your life?"

"Yes, but not just someone. Everyone we've met during our training, Prince Marth, and Princess Elice. I'm to remain loyal to those close to me. That's the sort of knight I aim to be." I answered with complete confidence. Katarina smiled slightly as she looked at the stone tiles.

"Yes, that's right… you're also doing it for someone else… other people… Not long now, is it? It won't be long until we become fully fledged Altean knights. When that happens…" Katarina trailed off as she stared at the floor. She took a deep breath before turning to me. "Let's get back to sleep. Thank you, Glacia, for being such… such a great friend to me." She gave me a quick hug before hurrying back through the door, leaving me alone and stunned in the empty hallway. When I walked through the door, she was already sound asleep. I crawled under my sheets once again and thought about Katarina's past before drifting off once again.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Devotion and Loyalty

"Glacia the Terrible, today's the day! The day we accept our knighthood!" Luke shouted as I sat on my bed, still slightly asleep, "It's all thanks to Glacia the Terrible that we've come this far. Aren't you all glad that I conceded commandership to her!?"

"Oh, Luke. Boisterous 'til the end." Cecille sighed, "He does have a point, though. We made it this far because you were here, Glacia, as our commander."

"I don't deserve all the credit. We made it this far because of our strength as a team." I said, finally fully awake.

"But because you led us, we were able to succeed. I'm honestly grateful." Rody added.

"Y-yes. Me too… You've put in so much effort to help us fight as well as we could. Glacia, thank you so much." Ryan said, joining the conversation. I glanced around the room and everyone had their eyes on me.

"I… uh…" I stammered.

"Aw, are you embarrassed?" Cecille asked from her seat, "You're so cute!" I looked down at my covers as I tried to hide my embarrassment.

"Hey, go easy on her." Rody suddenly said, stopping Cecille. Katarina pulled a chair next to my bed and sat down next to me.

"Glacia, the time since we met sure has gone in the blink of an eye, hasn't it? All those memories and the experiences we shared. I won't ever forget… The time that we spent together…" Katarina spoke softly as she reminisced on the past.

"Is something the matter? I wouldn't expect you to suddenly get so nostalgic at a time like this…" I said.

"Ah… I'm just being strange, aren't I? I'm sorry." Katarina spoke with a gentle smile as if she was replaying the memories in her mind.

"Don't be. Let's get ready for the ceremony." I said as the door opened. A gruff-looking knight came in with many sacks in his hands. He laid them down on the floor and motioned towards them.

"When accepting knighthood, one must look the part." He said before promptly leaving. I got off of my bed and picked up a sack that had my name scrawled on it in messy ink. I untied the string that held it shut and a gleaming new suit of armor came out. The color was identical to my current armor, but the dark blue accents made the light blue pop out. The metal was extremely polished and was smooth to the touch. Cecille opened her sack to find a suit of armor in the same color as her current one, but of higher quality. Luke, Rody, and Ryan found similar results as they opened their sacks. One small sack remained with Katarina's name on it. It was much smaller than the other sacks and almost felt out of place. Katarina picked it up and promptly opened it to find a small cape that matched her lavender outfit. Together, we put on our new armor and grabbed our weapon of choice while Katarina gently tied her cape around her neck.

"Wow… yo- I- we look amazing!" Luke exclaimed, admiring everyone's new look.

"We're looking like proper knights now." Rody commented as he admired his new suit of lime green armor.

"We should head to the ceremony room. It's almost time to start." Katarina said after everyone was given enough time to admire each other.

"Right. Where is it being held?" I asked her, quickly glancing at Rody.

"It's being held in the throne room. Prince Marth must already be waiting for us…" Katarina replied.

"Well, let's go then." Cecille said before swinging the door open. Everyone else followed her and I stayed by Katarina's side as usual. During our walk, I glanced at Katarina occasionally and always found her lost in thoughts. Today's a big day, I thought to myself, she must have a lot on her mind right now. The sun shone through the windows, warming us as we passed through the cold hallways. Our newly armored boots clanged on the stone tiles and our leg armor clashed with each other, echoing through the corridors. My special necklace felt cold on my skin as it bounced on my chest. Soon, we arrived at the large doors that led into the throne room. The doors were already slightly open and we quietly pushed them open. Prince Marth was waiting for us, standing a few feet in front of the grand throne. On his sides stood Jagen and Cain, both with their stunning armor on display. Cain's crimson armor stood out from the blue carpets while Jagen's purple armor was more subtle. Jagen had a highly decorated lance in his hand while Cain had his blade sheathed on his side.

We quietly walked down the carpet pathway and lined up horizontally in front of Marth. I stood in the center of the line, directly in front of Marth. His gentle smile seemed to ease the tension in the room.

"Glacia. To the front." Jagen ordered, his gruff voice echoing throughout the tall room.

"Yes sir." I said, stepping forward.

"Please kneel." Marth said to everyone, his gentle voice contrasting with Jagen's. We did as we were ordered and Marth unsheathed his rapier. "In the name of Altea's great ancestor, Anri, and by my name…" Marth paused and put his blade above my shoulder, "Glacia, I appoint you and your platoon as knights." He removed the rapier from my shoulder and we all stood up, "Now you are Altean knights. You've done well up until now. You have much to be proud of." I turned around and was greeted with cheerful faces.

"I'm a knight… to think this day has finally come…" Luke said softly as he stared at his hands.

"And I almost didn't think we would make it." Rody admitted to me.

"I-I'm so happy… I think I'm going to cry…" Ryan sniffled and wiped a tear from his face.

"W-well, I'm not going to cry o-or do anything silly like that." Cecille said in defiance, ignoring the tears that began to well up in her eyes. I was on the verge of joining everyone in their joyful conversation when I noticed that Katarina was not standing with the crowd and had a blank expression on her face. I took a few steps towards her in an attempt to ask her if something was bothering her when a soldier burst into the room. He ran towards us as quickly as he could.

"Sire! Sir Jagen!" He blurted.

"What in the world has happened that's important enough for you to interrupt?" Jagen asked, walking towards the exhausted soldier.

"An attack! It-It's an attack! Altea Castle is under attack by an enemy force!"

"What!? How… what are their numbers?" Jagen asked as he started to walk out of the room.

"I-I don't know. I just know they're in the castle."

"I will assume command. You lot stay here and protect the prince!" Jagen commanded before running out of the doors.

"Yes, sir!" Rody responded before Jagen disappeared through the double doors.

"Hey, things are starting to get dangerous," Luke said with a worried expression on his face, "Shouldn't we go and help?"

"There's no need to be worried. The castle is heavily guarded by skilled knights. If it really is an attack, then…" Rody trailed off as Katarina interrupted him, breaking her silence.

"The guards won't be able to help because I drugged them. It won't kill them, but they won't be able to move well for a few days…"

"What? Katarina, what are you saying?" I asked, grabbing her shoulder as she stared out the open doors.

"'If there is someone who can move freely within the castle, they can easily drug the guards, or act as a guide for their accomplices… So until you can be trusted, you will spend every day waiting for such an opportunity.' Those were my orders." She said, not taking her eyes off of the doorway.

"What!? Is this some sort of joke? I don't believe this! Katarina what-"I said in a panic as she began to walk out of the room. The sound of heavy feet on stone tiles flooded the room from the doorway. "Katarina! Where are you going!? You can't just go outside! They'll-"

She stopped in front of the door as enemy warriors came through it. They stopped beside her as she turned around to face us. "I am not Katarina." She said.

"Excuse me?" Cecille said in disbelief.

"Forgive me, everyone…" Katarina said as she took out a purple book and opened it. I recognized the book as the one that she had claimed to have meant a lot to her. As she lifted her hand above the pages, a dark ball of fire hovered in her palm. "My real name is Eine. My reason for coming here was to kill Prince Marth!" As she exclaimed her true purpose, she released the ball of fire directly at Marth. I moved without thinking and put myself between Marth and the ball of black fire. I lifted my arms in a futile attempt to block the attack and felt the powerful force push me back. The flames wrapped around me, but it dissipated soon after. My necklace's stone felt colder against my skin than usual. Cain ran up to me, holding me in his arms to ensure I wasn't harmed.

Out of the warriors that gathered around Katarina, a warrior with a green mask came out. The color and the horns that protruded from the top of the mask quickly identified him as Cain's mystery attacker.

"Weeheehee!" His laugh echoed throughout the silent room, "I can see you, Prince Marth. Everything is going exactly as planned and all I had to do was create a situation where they'd risk their lives to protect some poor Altean villagers from bandits! Marth's trust can be bought so easily. Eine, I brought help. I'll leave Marth to you. I'll be watching very carefully, so do make sure you kill him." He laughed loudly before he departed, leaving the group of warriors to stare us down. I looked up at Cain to see that he was furious. He let go of me and unsheathed his blade. I looked behind me to find Marth was still in shock. Cecille ran up to me with her lance in hand.

"Hey! What the hell is this? Why is Katarina…"

"I don't know. When I think about it, there were some signs of uneasiness and I worried she would back out early, but I never imagined it would come to this…"

"What are we going to do?" Ryan asked worriedly as he walked up to me alongside Luke and Rody, "Are we… are we really going to fight Katarina? I don't want to hurt her…"

"We're knights, Ryan… We must fulfill our duty." I said, hoping it provided some sort of assurance for him.

"We don't have much time. Let's get out there and help Sir Cain." Rody said as he walked out towards Cain with Luke close behind him. Cecille and Ryan followed them soon after.

"My liege, please. Stay behind me." I said, unsheathing my sword.

"No… this is your knighthood ceremony… I'm not going to lose promising people in a place like this." Marth said, unsheathing his rapier, "I will fight alongside you. Altea Castle shall not fall to bandits and neither will any of my knights."

"Bandits…" I murmured under my breath, fixing my gaze on Katarina. I stayed by Marth's side while everyone else created a wall in front of us. The enemy had yet to make a move while we stood on our guard. The grand lights on the throne room's walls flickered from time to time as the magic flow became irregular, creating a tense atmosphere. I don't want to hurt her, I thought to myself as I watched her stand on the enemy's side, but I can't just get her back. Katarina formed another ball of darkness.

"Everyone attack!" Katarina exclaimed and the warriors burst into action. Warriors flooded into the room.

"Charge!" I commanded and Cain led the rest of the team, "Stay close to me, Prince Marth. I'll keep you safe."

"Don't worry about me, I can handle them." Marth said and ran down the steps. I swiftly followed him. The clash of metal on metal rang throughout the room as Cain made contact with the first warrior. A ball of dark fire came in his direction, but he ducked just in time for it to pass over him and land on the stone wall. Ryan kept his distance from the front lines as he hid behind pillars, moving to a different one whenever a warrior came close. Cecille helped keep him away from harm, slashing at everything she could see with her lance in hand. Cain's sword flashed with each swing he took. Luke and Rody teamed up with each other to dominate the battlefield. Rody made quick work of those who were spared from Luke's sword with swift motions of his lance.

A warrior attempted to attack Marth from behind, but was stopped short when my sword met his back. An archer suddenly appeared in front of Marth as he ran towards a pillar for cover. An arrow flew past him as he moved to dodge it. He brought up his rapier and fell the archer with a swift slash. I joined him behind the pillar.

"So Katarina was against me the whole time…" Marth said, slashing another warrior that made his way around the pillar.

"I…" I hesitantly said.

"I understand that she's your friend. You don't have to fight her if you don't feel comfortable with it…" Marth said, putting a hand on my shoulder and making me realize how torn I was. I had an important decision to make. I had to choose between my friendship with Katarina or my loyalty to Marth. I looked down at my sword as I held its blade in my other hand. Suddenly, archers appeared in the windows and rained arrows onto the chaotic scene.

"This is getting dangerous. Please, sire, get into better cover." I told Marth as I peered around the pillar. He responded with a quick nod before running towards the throne. I rushed ahead and cut down several warriors during my charge. Once I made it to the other side of the room, I took cover behind the pillar closest to the door. I peeked around the pillar and saw Katarina standing there casting numerous balls of dark fire into the crowd. Using all of my strength, I charged at her, attempting to grab her and take her to safety. She saw me coming and avoided my grasp. I staggered for a moment as I stopped my reckless charge. As I turned to face her, an axe made contact with my side, leaving a dent in the armor and a gash on my ribs. I fell to the floor, dazed from the impact. I flipped onto my back and used my sword to deflect the second incoming axe. As I fought with the axe, I noticed Katarina looking at me in the distance with another ball of dark fire in her hand.

"Katarina, you don't have to do this!" I exclaimed through my gritted teeth. She walked closer to me with her hand still over her book until she was within earshot.

"Glacia… Yes, it was all a lie. I deceived you. I'm so sorry… forgive me…" her voice trailed off. The axe suddenly gave way and the warrior jumped out of the way. As I pushed myself up, Katarina released the ball of dark fire at me. I didn't have enough time to react and I felt the magic envelop me. The flames felt cold as they wrapped around me. I slammed both of my hands onto the ground and used all the strength I had to push myself up. Once I was standing once again, the flames dissipated and I was facing Katarina.

"Katarina… please don't… don't make me do this." I said, slightly tearing up.

"I must do this. If you must, then kill me." She said, looking me straight in the eyes.

"I will not do such a thing! I'll save you… Please…" I pleaded. She didn't respond as she threw another fireball at me. I jumped to the side to avoid it and sheathed my sword. "I can't do this to you…" She ignored my words and another fireball came my way. I ducked underneath it and ran to the alcove that housed various boxes of materials. I grabbed a long, wooden pole and ran out towards Katarina. She pelted me with fireballs and I deflected every single one with a swing of the pole. Once I was close enough, I swiftly swung the pole upwards, closing the book and the preparing fireball dissipated. She opened the book once again and I reacted by landing a solid blow on her side, making her stagger backwards from the force. I was distracted with my attempt to keep Katarina's injuries to a minimum and several warriors took advantage of this, flanking me. Several powerful swings of their axes left major dents in my armor and deep gashes on my stomach. I fell to the ground with two enemy warriors standing over me. I held the wooden pole above myself to soften the blows, but Cain's blade got to them first. He held out his hand and helped me get up. Before I was able to properly thank him, another fireball came our way. Instinct kicked in and I blocked the fireball from hitting Cain. I felt the coldness once again, but the fire dissipated faster this time. I turned towards Katarina once again and charged at her with the wooden pole in front of me. She fired a dark fireball at me and I charged right through the flames. The fireball split in half as I ran through it and the tip of the pole made contact with Katarina's stomach, knocking her down.

"Urgh… I… Roro, I'm going to retreat. I… I cannot win this battle…" Katarina said as she picked herself up and ran out of the door. The remaining warriors followed her, thundering out of the room and leaving a deadly silence behind.

We gathered around the throne as we assessed each other's and our own injuries. Marth came from behind, surprising everyone who expected him to be hiding behind the throne. His unsheathed rapier was stained with blood. I sat on the top step with Cain as I dressed my injuries. The blood had seeped through my clothes and dripped onto the floor.

"Cain, is she…?" Marth started.

"She'll be alright." Cain said as he applied pressure on the gashes on my stomach.

"Sir Cain…" I began.

"Please, you're part of the family now." He said, putting his arm around my shoulders, allowing me to lean on his shoulder. I smiled slightly.

"Cain… is Prince Marth alright?" I asked, slightly lightheaded from the blood loss.

"He's perfectly fine." He said as he watched Marth walk around. I heard metallic footsteps and looked up to see Jagen running towards us.

"All these bodies… what happened in here?" Jagen questioned Marth.

"Katarina wasn't who we thought she was. She was an assassin sent here to kill me." Marth answered as he sat down on the throne.

"Where is she now?"

"She's escaped."

"I see… But, what in the world…? That girl was an assassin? Sire, this is all my fault. I am prepared to receive any kind of punishment."

"No. It's not your fault, Jagen. Who could have possibly known, anyway?" Marth replied, leaving his throne and sitting down next to me, "Glacia, Katarina looked at you with such gentle eyes. Perhaps there was some sort of unavoidable circumstance for her. Perhaps she was being forced…" I gave slight nod before I stared at the blue carpet underneath him and thought about what Katarina had said.

"Sire, my goodness. To think you would be concerned for the assassin who made an attempt on your life. With the Shadow Dragon gone and the world supposedly heading towards a path of peace and prosperity, who in the world would try to assassinate you, sire?" Jagen said with extreme concern in his voice, "At this rate, you will likely be targeted by assassins once again. We must prepare a guard who will defend you with his or her life…"

"Then I'd like to delegate that role to Glacia." Marth said, standing up once again, "As we had discussed before, if Glacia were to follow me as a Royal Guard, I would rest assured."

"Understood. I'll make the necessary arrangements." Jagen said before he ran out of the throne room once again. Marth sat down next to me once again.

"This won't be the last we'll see of Katarina. When the time comes, I want you to guard me and… if possible… I want you to help her. I believe that is something only you can do…"

"Of course… I'll… I'll do my best." I said, still within Cain's arms.

"Come on, let's get you patched up…" Cain said, gently lifting me up onto my feet. Slowly, we walked around the destroyed hallways towards a nearby infirmary. He sat me down on one of the beds and helped me lay down as a cleric began to heal me. "You've done well today. Even a veteran like me must admit it was an impressive first job. You helped Prince Marth stay out of danger."

"But… I wasn't there with him the whole time… I concerned myself with Katarina…"

"You don't have to be right next to someone to defend them." He paused to move my hair out of my face, "Sometimes, ending the battle as soon as possible defends them as well."

"Oh, you do have a good point." I said, sleepily closing my eyes.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you tomorrow morning." He said before I fell into a dreamless slumber. I regained consciousness the same way I lost it: to the sound of Cain's voice. I felt him shaking my shoulder before I opened my eyes. "Good morning." He said as I sat up. The aching from my stomach was gone as the cleric had finished her work on me. Once I had blinked the sleepiness from my eyes, I noticed that the room was filled with everyone that had helped me during training.

"Are you feeling alright?" Caeda asked, stepping out of the small crowd. I nodded in response. "Glacia… thank you… for keeping Marth safe. But, I… I still feel uneasy. I can't shake the feeling that Marth will only be in more danger from now on…"

"Please, don't worry yourself so much, Princess. I will protect Prince Marth as well as I can, without fail."

"Thank you. If you are there, then surely…" She softly said, "My apologies, Marth and I only ever ask favors of you, but from this moment, I ask that you always stay by Marth's side… and help him…"

"Of course. That is my duty and my first priority." I assured her. Merric suddenly stepped forward and stood next to my bed.

"Glacia, I'll be heading back to Khadein, the city of magic. There's something I have to do for Marth. He's a very important person to me… I trust that you will not break your vows." Merric said.

"You can trust me, Merric. I'll keep those vows until the day I die." I responded.

"We have to do our best to protect Prince Marth as well." Gordin said as he stood beside Draug.

"I ought to guard the castle's walls even more diligently. I apologize for not being able to help." Draug admitted.

"Don't apologize. No one could have known…" I said as my mind wandered. Afterward, everyone bid me farewell and left the room one at a time. Wrys was the last to leave.

"Dame Glacia, I'm going on a journey for a while. Thank you for allowing me to assist you on your journey and thank you for working so hard for Prince Marth." He said, putting his frail hand on mine.

"No, Wrys, thank you for helping us. We appreciate it very much."

"Knowing fate, if two people are tied together, they will meet again, sooner or later. Please, take care…"

"Stay safe out there." I said before Wrys let go of my hand and left the room. As I sat in the room alone, memories of the situation with Katarina from yesterday flooded my mind. I remembered her betrayal and I suddenly felt empty as I realized that Katarina was no longer here next to me. The rest of the day was a blur. The only thing I remembered doing before I fell asleep once again was accepting the role of being Marth's Royal Guard. The following days were emotionless as several allies left Altea while the others focused on their original roles around the castle. Day after day, I would return to the collective quarters in a silent daze after personal training sessions. I spoke less and less as the days dragged on.

"I still can't believe it. How did Katarina wind up as our enemy?" Cecille said one night.

"Knock it off will you? Glacia's still trying to get over it." Rody had said in response. I didn't have the energy nor the heart to respond to her. Every day, I subjected myself to rougher and rougher training as I attempted to keep Katarina and our friendship out of my mind.

One night, I came back to the quarters early and the room was empty. I stood at the edge of my bed and stared at the empty bed that was once Katarina's. I sat down on the edge of my bed and stared at the wooden slats that made up the floor. I took off my armor and left it on the end of my bed. The door opened and Luke walked in. I heard him take in a breath as if to say something, but soon released it. His armor clanged as he removed it and hung it on the rack. He hung my armor up on the rack as well before quietly closing the door and sitting down next to me. We sat in silence as my mind was filled with the memories I had made with Katarina.

"Glacia…" He said. I didn't respond. He put his arm around my shoulders and he held my hand in his. He pulled me closer to him and I didn't resist. I rested my head on his chest as his arm left my shoulder and held my arm. He hugged me tightly against his chest and I let him. I thought about Katarina, about the memories we had, the time we spent together, all the times we laughed together. And I cried for her.


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – To Grust!

"Hah!" I yelled as I slashed my blade straight through the training dummy, splitting it in half and exposing its straw stuffing.

"Still training at this late hour?" Jagen asked as he walked through the gate.

"Of course. I have to keep myself sharp." I said, spinning my blade in my hand before sheathing it, "I have to fulfill my duty of protecting Prince Marth as well as I can."

"That's admirable." He said with a smile, "You've been protecting Prince Marth for about an entire year already and yet you still strive for excellence…"

"I can't let anyone down." I said as I walked up to him, "Did you need me for something?"

"Come with me. Prince Marth wishes to have a word with you before you return to your quarters." Jagen said, motioning for me to follow him. I quickly nodded in confirmation and followed him through the hallways towards the throne room. Over the months that I had spent walking through the castle, the hallways had become more familiar to me. As I passed by the intricate windows, I recognized the many rooms that the many doors had led to. And to think I could have gotten lost here, I thought to myself as I remembered my days as a knight-in-training. A few minutes of walking later, Jagen opened the grand doors of the throne room and I walked in.

Marth was standing near his throne, speaking to someone I wasn't able to recognize. His skin was quite pale and he had flowing blonde hair that gently touched his shoulders. As Jagen and I came close, Marth turned to greet us.

"Ah, Glacia. Thank you for coming at such a late hour." Marth said, "I had received a message from Emperor Hardin this afternoon and spent the day discussing preparations. It seems that a rebellion has broken out in the kingdom of Grust. The kingdom of Archanea is requesting our assistance in suppressing this rebellion."

"Indeed. As you could see, I am already old and won't be much use in the front lines. Due to this, our main force will consist of your fellow 7th platoon knights, Gordin, Draug, and Arran." Jagen said, ending his sentence with a gesture towards the man standing beside Marth. He stepped forward before speaking to me.

"Royal Guard Glacia, this is the first time we've spoken face-to-face. I am Arran the Paladin. I will be fighting by your side during this mission." Arran said, extending a hand towards me.

"It is an honor to fight with you, Arran." I said, firmly shaking his hand.

"We will board a ship towards Grust tomorrow morning. Cain will be staying behind to keep the castle in order." Marth explained.

"What of your wedding? It's planned to be in a few days. Surely we would not be able to return in time…" I said, expressing my concern.

"Caeda will not be pleased, but orders from Archanea are absolute. We have no option but to comply." Marth replied, "I trust that you will be prepared to leave by tomorrow morning?"

"Of course." I confirmed before excusing myself. I walked back to the quarters at a brisk pace with the thought of leaving Altea on my mind. I had never stepped foot outside of Altea before and the opportunity excited and terrified me. Soon, I arrived at the quarters' door and slowly opened the door.

"Glacia the Terrible! You're back late today." Luke remarked from his desk with his sword on his lap and a sharpening stone in his hand, "You heard about tomorrow morning?"

"I was just speaking with Prince Marth about it." I responded.

"You've been spending so much time with Prince Marth lately it's like you've got a romantic relationship with him." Luke remarked.

"Perhaps it has something to do with her job…?" Rody sarcastically asked, not looking away from his book.

"As much as I like to disagree with Luke, I feel like he does have a point." Cecille admitted, "We don't spend as much time together. With you rarely here and Ryan staying with his brother, I don't have anyone to tease but these two."

"I'm sorry. I guess I've been focusing on my role so much I've neglected spending time with you all." I admitted and sat down at my desk.

"I don't want you to neglect your job. It's quite important. But it'd be great if you spent some more time with us."

"I'll try my best." I promised before changing the subject, "We'll have an expedition to embark on tomorrow. We'll be fighting together once again."

"Yeah! I'm so ready for it too!" Luke shouted suddenly, "We're going out and having our first real battle! I can barely contain my excitement!"

"Luke, please calm down. We're just going to stop a rebellion, not go on a grand conquest." Rody commented as he attempted to concentrate on his book. As Luke continued to announce his excitement to the room, I opened the top drawer of my desk to check on my special necklace. I felt around the inside of the bag with my fingers for the round stone until I felt its smooth, cold surface. Smiling, I closed the bag once again and put it back into the drawer.

"We've got a big morning tomorrow. We should get some sleep." I announced, interrupting Luke's display of excitement.

"Right. Can't save damsels in distress when you're sleepy." Luke said, putting his sword on his desk along with the sharpening stone.

"Yeah, let's get some shuteye. I'll see you all in the morning." I said, standing up from my desk and removing my armor. We spent several minutes getting ourselves situated in our beds before promptly falling asleep.

From the darkness, a strange dream came to me that felt all too familiar. I stood on a cliff overlooking Altea Castle and watched as numerous dragons circled above and spewed flames onto the castle's walls. Soon, I recognized it as a dream that I had during my first few nights in the castle. Instead of standing there, I took action and ran down the steep cliff towards the castle gate. The stones were glowing from the heat and flames lapped the high ceilings. In front of the gate stood a strange, cloaked figure. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All I could hear were the screeches of the dragons overhead. The figure turned around to reveal a gentle face of a woman. She removed her hood, revealing her glistening light-blue hair, stopping me dead in my tracks. As I stood there, she looked at me with gentle eyes that reminded me of a calm ocean. Suddenly, warriors emerged from the nearby forest and lunged towards her. Before I could do anything, I felt the force of a closing door echo in my ears, yanking me from my dream.

Groggily, I pushed myself off of my bed and sat sleepily on the edge.

"Some men just came by and took our extra equipment to the boat for us. We best get ourselves out there before they sail without us." I heard Rody say.

"Alright… just give me a few minutes." I said.

"I am so ready!" Luke shouted, "Let's go!" I stood up and equipped myself with the usual equipment: my set of armor, my sword's sheath, and my special necklace. Luke rushed to equip himself with his armor and sheath while Rody took his time to ensure that he had all that he needed. Cecille was already prepared and stood by as she waited for us.

"Alright, let's get going." I said once everyone was prepared.

"Right. Let's head for the docks." Rody said, "We'll be able to get there shortly on horseback." As we left the quarters, Rody walked ahead of us to ensure that no one lost their way, similarly to our days as knights-in-training. Soon, we reached the stables and we grabbed our horses' reins. Blazemane snorted in excitement as I held her reins. Ever since I was appointed knighthood, Blazemane has been seeing less action than she would have liked. I stroked her dark brown mane as we greeted each other. I slowly climbed onto her saddle and got comfortable before following the others. Blazemane kept an even pace with Rody, greeting his horse with soft whinnies. We rode for several minutes before Rody spoke, "I've always wondered. Why did you name your horse Blazemane?"

"It's quite a story…" I began, "Many years ago, during my first years at my grandfather's cabin, there was a fire that raged through the forest that surrounded the cabin. My grandfather and I stood outside to make sure the fire didn't get to our cabin. Suddenly, a young mare stormed right through the flames before running back in. My grandfather told me to stay behind as he chased after her. Soon, he returned with young Blazemane and several other horses as well. Turns out a nearby stable had caught fire and the horses were trapped in the blaze. We returned the horses to their rightful owners and they allowed us to keep young Blazemane. She was named Blazemane for running through the flames to save her family, sacrificing her mane in the process." I ended the story by gently ruffling Blazemane's mane.

"I'm glad she's recovered so well."

"Likewise. Her mane used to be a different color as well." I held portions of her mane in my hand, "These red tips weren't there in the beginning."

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fire?"

"Perhaps…" I said to myself as the docks came into view.

"Looks like we're here. And everyone else is here as well." Rody said, riding ahead of me. Blazemane sped up and closely followed Rody. Soon, Ryan and Gordin came into view.

"Rody! Glacia! You're here!" Ryan shouted as he ran towards us with Gordin slowly following him. "We're about ready to leave. Let's get on board."

"Ryan! It's been a while." I greeted him as he stopped in front of us. Cecille and Luke soon caught up to us.

"Ryan, long time no see, you cutie." Cecille teased, making Ryan blush slightly.

"Let's start getting your horses onto the boat." Gordin suggested in an attempt to cover his brother's embarrassment, "Just about everyone has already boarded and the supplies have been put on board as well."

"Well, let's get going then!" Luke excitedly said before sprinting off towards the boat.

"Ah, Luke. Energetic as always." Gordin commented.

"Not much use standing around, let's follow him." Cecille said before taking off after Luke. Ryan sat behind Rody while Gordin sat behind me as we followed Cecille towards the boat. As we rode towards the calm waters, I got a better look at the boat. Its width and length easily dwarfed the pier it was docked at and its large sails draped around their poles, lightly fluttering in the wind. We dismounted our horses and slowly walked them onboard. Gordin and Ryan walked ahead of us to help the scrambling sailors prepare. At the edge of the boat, Blazemane hesitated as the waves moved the wooden slats underneath her. I put my hand reassuringly on her shoulder before continuing to lead her onto the boat. Slowly, we made our way to the stables in the heart of the ship. Caretakers gently escorted our horses to their pens, taking extra care not to panic the animals. Afterward, we climbed up the several staircases and returned to the surface level of the boat. Several sailors were pulling on thick ropes, allowing the sails to open and catch the gentle breeze. The wooden bridges were removed and the ship began to sail away.

I left Rody and went to look over the edge of the boat as it pulled away from the docks. Underneath, small waves crashed into the boat, leaving white foam in its wake. The calm breeze picked up my hair as it made its way across the main deck. I stared at the horizon and watched the sun rise higher into the sky. I was soon joined by Ryan, whose outfit had changed from his usual outfit. He had a green long sleeved shirt on with beige pants, similarly to his brother. He also had a new pair of brown gloves.

"A nice view, isn't it?" Ryan said into the silent morning.

"Indeed." I replied, "We've never really had a one-on-one chat before, have we?"

"This is our first time. I suppose I never had the courage to strike up a conversation with you. I've learned so much during my time with Gordin, confidence being one of them."

"He must be a fantastic teacher. Perhaps I could get some lessons from him as well."

"I think you'd be the last person who needs lessons." He chuckled.

"Well, I'm not perfect. Not yet anyway." I said, jokingly.

"What do you think it'd be like? Our first real battle?"

"I don't know. It could be anything. What I do know is that as long as we fight together, we can make it out of any situation."

"Your positivity has always been reassuring, yet I can't help but fear for what's to come."

"For as long as I live, I will never allow harm to come to my friends. Together, we'll be fine."

"Thanks, Glacia, for always looking out for us." Ryan said with a smile, "You're like a sister I never had." We stood on the edge of the boat watching the horizon in silence, silently smiling to ourselves. The boat entered open waters and land began to disappear from sight. A door creaked open and Ryan turned towards the noise before leaving me to enjoy the sights on my own. A few moment after Ryan's departure, I left to explore the rest of the ship. I kept close to the edge, enjoying the vast water that surrounded me. The ocean is so calm, I thought to myself as I walked along the short wall that bordered the ship, if only Grandfather was still here to enjoy such a sight with me. Distracted by the gentle movements of the ocean, I bumped into Prince Marth as he admired the scenery.

"Ah, G-Glacia!" Marth exclaimed in surprise.

"M-My liege, my apologies."

"It's quite alright." He said before turning towards the ocean once again, "It's such a calming experience isn't it?"

"It is…" I said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "About the rebellion. I worry that it won't be as easy to calm them as we've thought."

"I worry as well. Grust has always been a peaceful kingdom. I wonder what could have driven them to rebel…"

"We can never truly know unless we see it for ourselves. I just hope the rebels don't start coming after you."

"We must prepare for anything, but I hope that we can keep casualties at a minimum."

"Of course. Though, if they charge you, I will have no option but to go for the kill." I trailed off at the end of my sentence as I thought about the people I would have to fight in order to keep Marth safe.

"This would be your first real battle, wouldn't it? Battles will be different from now on. Defeat on the battlefield means death. Please, you must take utmost care not to get yourself killed."

"As should you, milord. We cannot afford lose you on the battlefield either. Altea would be shaken as well as its future."

"It would be wonderful if we could avoid losing anyone in battle." Marth said and I silently nodded in agreement. A few minutes passed before I excused myself and left Marth's company. I retreated into the bowels of the ship, passing by several doors that led to various rooms. Soon, I found myself in a large, open room with chairs, tables, and lanterns scattered about. Soldiers occupied the chairs, laughing loudly as they drank mugs of ale. I found an open table near a small circular window and took a seat. For the next couple of hours, I stared out of the window at the water, occasionally asking a waitress for a cup of water or a snack to munch on.

A sailor thundered into the room. "We've hit land! Let's get moving!" He announced before thundering off. I took my time, finishing my drink before leaving for the main deck. As I entered the sun's rays, sailors and soldiers alike scrambled to disembark the ship. Several soldiers carried large packs stuffed with tarps and other materials required for setting up camp. As soon as the bridges came down, soldiers flooded them, pouring out onto the grassy banks. I remained on the ship as I watched the swarm of soldiers raise tents and carry supplies. A caravan appeared amongst the crowd as Jagen approached me.

"We've made arrangements for a transport convoy as well as merchants to accompany us. The merchants are willing to sell us weapons and items at a small discount in exchange for protection." He said as he stopped beside me.

"How did you know I was curious of the caravan?"

"Many knights ask me the same thing on their first expedition. I've come to expect it at this point."

"I see…" I said in response. Before I was able to ask more about the convoy, Jagen had already left me to supervise the newly formed camp. I was about to disembark as well, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me short. I turned to see Marth, equipped with his light armor and his rapier by his side.

"Glacia, the camp's finished setting up. Let's proceed to the largest tent there." He said as he pointed towards a tent that was the size of several tents put together, "That's where the war council is often held. Even though there is no war to be had, it's still used for preparations and planning." I nodded in understanding before following Marth as he walked down the wooden bridges and through the crowded camp. As we approached the war council tent, the crowd thinned until it was nonexistent. We brushed away the curtains that covered the tent's opening to find Jagen standing over a large wooden table with a tall, well-armored man. The tent did well to house his height as it was as tall as it was wide. His head was bald, except for the sides of his head as well as his full beard where his hair was pure white. His armor was jet black with golden details, matching the color palate of the rest of his outfit. A long red and gold strip of fabric hung from the middle of his waist.

"Prince Marth, Glacia. This is General Lang, the commanding officer of the occupational forces." Jagen said, introducing the man who was standing across the table from him.

"Royal Guard Glacia. A pleasure to meet you, General Lang." I introduced myself.

"Oho, so you're Prince Marth?" General Lang chuckled as he walked over to Marth, completely ignoring my presence, "Glad you could make it. Since you've come all this way, I suppose I'll allow you to have the glory of capturing the rebel leader, General Lorenz." He spoke as he led Marth to the wooden table where a large map was pinned down. I silently followed, keeping an eye on Lang.

"General Lorenz leads the rebels?! What would possess him to rebel of all things?" Marth thought out loud as he screened the notes that were scribbled on the map.

"Who knows? I haven't the foggiest idea and frankly I don't care. You are to kill General Lorenz and reclaim the children of the Grustian royal family. While you do that, we will slaughter the families of those who participated in this rebellion and raze their homes to the ground." Lang said, crossing his arms.

"A-Are you insane?! They're innocent civilians!"

"'I-insane'!?" Lang mocked, "Young man, are you questioning my orders!? Perhaps Altea, too, plans to rebel..?"

"Of course not! I… That's not…"

"Prince Marth, your tiny country means absolutely nothing to me. Your rude behavior is nothing but a mere irritation. Do not forget that I have the power of the empire behind me. I can crush weak, pesky insects like you any time I wish with one command." Lang walked to the tent's opening and turned towards Marth, "Get this done or there will be dire consequences." He walked through the flaps and left us in shock. I glared at the opening, in case he decided to return. With Lang gone, I walked up to the table to have a closer look at the map.

"Jagen… what in the world is going on here? How could Hardin have entrusted this country to such a… vile man?" Marth said, commenting on Lang's behavior.

"I understand how you feel. However, Lorenz has begun a rebellion. That much seems to be true, so we ought to do something about that first. Perhaps you can try speaking to General Lorenz personally. He may shed some light on the situation." Jagen suggested.

"Perhaps. However, I feel uneasy about speaking to him with General Lang in the area. I fear he may use it as an excuse to declare us as traitors…" Marth said, expressing his concern.

"I can find a way to keep you out of his sight. Perhaps the convoy can provide a proper distraction…"

"I would be most grateful if such a tactic could be executed."

"Then consider it done." Jagen confirmed.

"Glacia, this is the first time you've been outside Altea, isn't it?" Marth asked, noticing my close study of the map.

"It is. Have you come to Grust before, sire?" I asked, breaking my focus from the map's details.

"Indeed. I travelled to Grust in the War of Shadows, when Grust was our enemy. The general and the people were not to blame however. There were many admirable people I wished I didn't have to fight. General Lorenz comes to mind… he fought beside me as my ally." Marth reminisced on the past as he stared at the red circle on the map that indicated General Lorenz's location, "Because of the war, Grust was devastated and it now follows the rule of the Kingdom of Archanea. General Lorenz was allowed to govern it. He's an excellent leader who thinks of his people. It is thanks to him that the people of Grust can live in peace."

"I understand. But then, why did a rebellion occur?"

"I don't know. I don't quite understand what is going on in this country…" Marth admitted. Suddenly, a teenage boy raised his voice from the tent's opening.

"I understand it, without a doubt." He said.

"Aren't you a Grustian civilian?" Marth asked.

"I sure am. If you want a rundown of our situation, it's like this. General Lorenz took the royal children from Lord Wendell and raised them in Grust. The empire demanded their extradition, but Lorenz refused. He hid them, fearing they would be killed. He was branded a traitor and General Lang was sent here. He's been doing horrible things to find the royal children. For this, we rose up… but we lost. And now Lang is going to kill everyone in this entire country!" He spoke almost nonstop, ending the story with an exasperated exclamation.

"I-I'm sorry, but did I hear you correctly? The royal children are in Lorenz's care?" Marth asked for confirmation.

"That is correct." The boy confirmed. He began to move towards me, but was prevented from walking any further when an older man ran into the tent.

"Oh, there you are. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're causing me? Come now, let's go." The man said quickly, pushing the teenager towards the opening. Once the teen was outside, the man turned around to face us. "I must apologize on behalf of my son. There aren't any young girls left in this country and he's gotten quite desperate."

"No young girls left?" I asked.

"That's right. They were all taken away by the imperial troops. Rumor has it that General Lang keeps the really pretty ones to himself, but don't let anyone know that I said that. He'd have my head for it." The man turned for the opening and prepared to leave, "Excuse me, I must leave before I spew any more nonsense that could get me into deep trouble." He almost ran out of the opening, leaving us in a confused silence.

"That was a lot to take in…" I said as I pulled up a chair from the edges of the tent's wall.

"Yes, it was, but we cannot allow it to distract us." Jagen said as he shifted his attention to the map that was still sprawled out on the table, "We must plan our attack. The scouts have returned with the following information. Our camp is here, sandwiched between this mountain range and the ocean. To the north east of us is a village that includes an armory. We may be able to stock up on supplies that our merchants cannot offer us there. To the left of that village is a narrow pass between the mountains. A fort stands in the way between us and General Lorenz." Jagen paused to circle several spots in the open fields in front of the village as well as the forests around General Lorenz's location, "There are sightings of rebel warriors in these areas. Be prepared for a fight when treading over this section of the battlefield."

"Glacia and I will lead our own group of troops in order to sneak behind enemy lines and speak to General Lorenz." Marth added, "I reckon we will be able to bring seven other knights with us and still remain unnoticed, as long as we scatter ourselves properly."

"The seven should be Rody, Luke, Ryan, Cecille, Gordin, Draug, and Arran. I believe that our combined skill should be enough to overtake any rebel." I recommended.

"We ought to let them know." Jagen added as he prepared to leave, "I will speak to the convoy members in the meantime and find a way to execute that distraction plan of ours. Glacia, your main job on the battlefield is to protect Prince Marth. Do not fail."  
"Yes, sir." I said before Jagen left the tent. Before I was able to leave to inform the knights of their special orders, Marth's voice stopped me.

"The village to the north. We should visit them and ensure that the citizens are given ample time to escape... We should check on their well-being as well." He suggested.

"Of course. However, we must ensure the area is free of attackers before we enter the village. With the surrounding walls, they may take the opportunity to surround us or use innocent civilians against us. We can never be too careful in situations like these." I said.

"Right." Marth paused as the wind blew the tent's entry wide open, revealing the wandering knights outside, "I just hope that we can end this quickly, before anyone gets hurt. I fear that innocent civilians may fall to General Lang's blade."

"We will be able to save them. I am certain of it." I said, reassuringly putting my hand on his shoulder, "Let's go tell the rest of our team about our mission." I removed my hand from his shoulder and we left the tent together. We turned in opposite directions. Marth went to notify the senior knights: Ryan, Draug, and Arran. I went to notify the newer knights: Ryan, Rody, Luke, and Cecille. Soon, we gathered in the war council tent as a team.

"So you want us to disobey General Lang's orders while also following them?" Rody asked after I explained the plan.

"That's right. Remember that we cannot attract his attention. Jagen's distraction isn't completely foolproof." I said, reminding the team. Everyone exchanged nods before redirecting their focus back onto me. With a swift motion, Jagen entered the tent and took position beside me.

"The rest of our militia are armed and ready." He said before turning towards Marth, "The troops will attack on your command, sire."

"Understood. Glacia, meet with me at the foot of the nearest mountain." Marth said before making his way out of the tent.

"Everyone ready?" I asked everyone in the tent. I was met with multiple shouts of agreement, "Let's get going then." I led everyone out of the tent at the same moment the shouts of soldiers charging echoed through the camp. Those who fought on foot instantly made their way to the rendezvous area. Arran, Luke, Rody, and I walked to the temporary stables at a brisk pace and sprinted towards the foot of the mountain once we were properly mounted. Blazemane and the other horses were already equipped with newly forged horse armor. Metal plates covered her chest, thighs, and the sides of her neck. Her neck armor included a slot on top to allow her mane to protrude from the armor. Blue and yellow cloths representing Altea's national colors were draped from the saddle and Blazemane's hind legs.

As we approached the mountain, the sound of metal hitting metal could be heard from the ongoing battle. Marth was waiting for us when we arrived.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Gordin asked, returning from his scouting position on a rocky ledge, "There are several axe-wielding rebels and a couple of archers situated between us and the village. And they do not look like they would want to be friendly with us. From the looks of it, General Lorenz isn't alone either."

I outlined the plan as the team listened intently. "Prince Marth and I will stick together and approach the village, eliminating any threats that may be in close proximity to the village's walls. Ryan and Gordin, find a comfortable place in the mountainous area here and attack from a distance. Luke and Rody, ride out towards the ocean before turning in and charging through their ranks, towards Ryan and Gordin's position in a pincer attack. Draug, Cecille, and Arran will rush towards the fort in the pass and secure it before we get there. That will be our first rendezvous point. We will figure out the rest of our battle plan there, where we can have a better visual of our opponents. Understood?" Everyone nodded in unison and we began to carry out our plan to outwit General Lang. Gordin and Ryan began to scale the mountain side while Luke and Rody rode out onto the battlefield together. Cecille and Arran ran ahead to secure the fort while Draug took his time as he slowly followed them. "My liege, let's get going." I said, silently offering him a seat on Blazemane's saddle.

"Are you sure she'll be alright with it?" Marth asked as he walked closer.

"She can handle it." I reassured him and Blazemane softly neighed in agreement. I held out my hand and pulled him up to the saddle, "Hold on tight. We'll get there in a flash." Marth put his arms around my stomach and I whipped Blazemane into a blazing sprint. As we entered the vast plain that was our battlefield, several axe warriors came into view. As we came closer, Luke and Rody flew through them, knocking them into a daze. Several warriors were chasing the cavalier duo. I steered Blazemane towards them, unhooked my lance from the saddle, and slashed through them at chest level. The velocity of the lance knocked them off of their feet and they collectively landed in the grass with a soft thud. Unfazed, Blazemane continued towards the village and several archers came into view.

"Circle around, I'm getting off." Marth said. I slowed Blazemane to a slow gallop before stopping completely to allow Marth to dismount. He got off as quickly as possible as arrows began to fly through the air. I hesitated before allowing Blazemane to sprint away once more. I made a wide turn around the archers and adjusted my grip on my lance. I watched as arrows archers aimed towards Marth, but failing to fire as Marth's rapier made contact with their chests first. He made swift work of the archers and I came around just in time to eliminate the last archer. Making a sharp turn, Blazemane ran to meet with Marth.

"Are you alright, sire?" I asked, surveying him for any damage.

"I'm perfectly fine. Archers are quite weak when you're too close for them to accurately fire. Let's get into the village." Marth said, sheathing his blade and walking towards the village gates. I followed him, dismounting Blazemane once we reached the tall, wooden doors. I kept my lance with me in case of an ambush. As we walked through the open gates, we noticed an old woman on the porch of one of the houses, seeming to hug someone in her arms and hiding them with her long, draping shirt. Marth and I approached her and she turned towards us.

"Oh… Please show mercy to this child, she's only ten years old…" she pleaded.

"Ma'am, please calm yourself. We aren't here to take any children." Marth said in a calm and reassuring tone.

"What… You're not imperial soldiers?"

"No, we're not. We've come to warn everyone to escape the village as soon as possible. We wish to protect you all from General Lang's tyranny. If there's anything you need, please ask."

"Wait… Please, take me with you." A voice said from the old woman's arms. The old woman released her from her arms and she emerged from underneath her fabric cover.

"Huh..? You're… are you really ten?" Marth asked as she turned to face us. She was approximately my height, but slightly shorter. The sunlight highlighted her lavender hair and white dress. She had a tuft of her long hair tied into a ponytail on the side of her head. She held tightly to the staff in her hands.

"No… I'm actually a grown woman. Granny lied so I wouldn't be taken away by Lang's monstrous soldiers." She said as she walked closer to Marth, "But… you're different. You have very sweet eyes. Please, take me with you. Take me away from this country and take me to yours." Her hands gravitated towards Marth's, but I stopped her from getting too close. She retracted her hands and took a few steps back.

"Please, take Malicia with you and protect her. It's not safe for her to stay here." The old woman said as she held onto Malicia's hand.

"Of course. Glacia, please go warn the other villagers to flee. I will stay here with Malicia and help her grandmother escape. Meet me outside the village gates." Marth told me.

"Understood." I said before mounting Blazemane and dashing through the village's dusty roads, stopping occasionally to spread the word. I ran several laps around the village and the village guards helped citizens leave through the back gate, having them hide in the nearby forest. Once the entire village was evacuated, I rode out to the main gate to rejoin Marth. As I passed through the gate, Marth approached me from my right with Malicia close by.

"The entire village has been evacuated." I stated as they walked towards me. Marth nodded in approval.

"Let's get to the rendezvous point. The path should be cleared by now." Marth said and we began walking towards the fort at a brisk pace. We walked along the foot of the mountain as it guided us towards the mountain pass. The plain that had served as the battlefield was ominously quiet as the rebels had long been defeated. Blazemane cautiously observed our surroundings, occasionally flicking her head side to side. As we neared the fort, the sounds of battle was prominent once more. We rushed over to the fort's gate and was greeted by Draug as he stood guard.

"Prince Marth! Glacia! You're here! We've been holding the fort, but I don't think we can hold it for much longer." He hurriedly shouted as he led us to the fort's commanding room. I dismounted Blazemane and led her by the reins, tying them to a nearby post when we arrived at our destination. Cecille, Luke, and Rody were already in the room when we walked through the door. They stood over an old table with an old map spread over its surface.

"Come quickly, we have to push them back before they break through. Arran, Gordin, and Ryan are doing their best out there, but they can't hold them off for long." Cecille said, hurriedly gesturing for me to come over. I almost ran over and quickly scanned the map. There were several black markings made by a stub of charcoal. "From this position, General Lorenz isn't too far away." She pointed at the large circle around what looked like a big fort, "There are gangs of rebels waiting for us out here, in case we manage to push their main force back. Whether they are doing so under General Lorenz's command is unknown."

"The first thing we need to do is disrupt the siege on our fort." Rody added as he walked around the table, observing the map from every angle. Before I was able to add any input, Arran rushed into the room with several wounds on his arms and legs.

"Oh, Glacia, you're here. Do you have a plan of action yet? Draug's taken my place, but we don't have much time left." Arran breathed hard as he spoke and held onto the doorframe for support as his pink armor scraped against each other.

"Malicia can help!" Malicia said, breaking her silence. Everyone turned towards her as she held her staff tightly in her hands. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes, causing the blue orb on her staff to glow faintly. Arran's wounds began to slowly heal.

"Malicia, you can use heal staves?" I asked.

"Yup! Granny taught me, but I've never used it very much." She answered without opening her eyes. I turned back towards the table.

"Alright, everyone. I've got a plan. Everyone will have a part in pushing back the rebels that have put our fort under siege. Once we break through their ranks, Draug and Malicia will stay behind in the fort. Draug will keep the fort defended while Malicia will help heal anyone that returns injured. Prince Marth and I will take a path closer to the mountains on our right that will take us directly to General Lorenz. The battles around him will help disguise our true intentions in case General Lang has sent any soldiers to watch us. Gordin and Ryan will be assigned the task of attacking through the forest and using the trees as cover. The attack will take this small army here by surprise." I circled the group of rebels that were close to the forest with my finger, "Luke and Rody will pair up once again and run through these rebels here, including the group of archers. Cecille and Arran will run a path parallel to that and run through more rebels on the way. Once they are eliminated, return to the fort for healing and defend it until we return. Whether it be more rebels or Lang's soldiers, do not let anyone through those gates." I concluded my plan by looking towards Malicia who had just finished healing Arran's wounds, "Malicia, I trust that you can quickly notify Gordin and Ryan of the plan?"

"Sure can!" She exclaimed, lowering her staff and quickly running out of the room.

"Let's get moving then!" I announced and everyone hurried to leave the room. Marth and I were the last to leave. Blazemane seemed to be unfazed by the sound of the chaos that was taking place outside the fort walls, even though she was unattended. I untied her and mounted her once again. We rushed towards the back gate and watched as Luke and Rody mounted their horses and charged through the gate at full speed. Sounds of loud yells and grunts echoed through the stone hallways of the fort. Cecille and Arran soon followed with a charge of their own. I sprinted after them with Marth running close behind. As I entered the sunlight, I was introduced to the large army of rebels that had attacked the fort. Axes flew through the air as they left their owners' hands. I unsheathed my sword and braced myself as a rebel threw themselves at me. Their axe clashed with my steel blade, causing sparks to fly. Once the force of the initial impact dissipated, I easily pushed him back, causing him to fall flat on his back. Blazemane reared, neighing loudly and striking fear into the rebel as he fled as quickly as he could.

With my sword at the ready, I ran through the now scattered army. My blade slid through many different shoulders as I ran through the scattering crowd. At the end of my charge, Blazemane stopped for a victorious neigh. The remaining rebels fled the battlefield, running back to those who were waiting for us and joining their ranks. Marth caught up to me as the next part of my plan was executed. He ran up to me and I helped him up onto Blazemane's back once again. I felt a strong gust hit my side as Luke and Rody rushed past me. As I turned Blazemane around to prepare for a sprint towards General Lorenz, I spotted Gordin and Ryan running into the sea of trees. Marth held on to me tightly as Blazemane broke into a sprint. We cut through the battlefield, arriving at the foot of the mountain before turning towards General Lorenz's direction. As we blazed across the foot of the mountain, we passed by several groups of rebels, distracted by Arran and Cecille and unaware of our presence. We neared the large fort, rebel archers emerged from the fort's colossal gate, scattering before us and firing arrows. I steered Blazemane out of their range of fire to allow Marth to dismount.

"I'll attack them from the side. Distract them with a direct attack." Marth commanded before running along the base of the mountain. I turned towards the archers once again and initiated a full speed charge. The surprised archers frantically loaded their bows and fired as quickly as they could. Blazemane deftly dodged the incoming arrows, but several arrows were able to lodge themselves in my stomach. Ignoring the increasing pain, I charged straight through them, forcing them to turn around in order to face me. While they were distracted, Marth caught them off-guard with swift slashes from the side. Within seconds, the group of archers were on the ground with only a few precise slashes on their chests, their bows knocked out of their hands. After ensuring there were no more rebels coming our way, we proceeded to the fort's gate.

At the base of the gate stood General Lorenz. His dark cloak, dark crimson armor, and tall, black boots emanated an intimidating aura. His full beard and short hair were white as snow and a black eye patch covered his left eye. His black shirt did well to hide his wounds, but his white pants told a different story as they were stained red. As we approached him, I rode ahead of Marth, causing Lorenz to remove his sword from its purple sheath as I stopped in front of him.

"You! You're the Altean army? So even Altea has turned on us…" Lorenz shouted at me before taking a step forward to ready an attack. Before he could move, Marth appeared at my side. "Prince Marth! How unfortunate that I must fight… the Altean Army and its prince…" Lorenz spoke in-between labored breaths, but did not lower his sword.

"Please, wait. I have no wish to fight you. A villager had told me everything, about all the atrocities Archanea has committed… I promise, I will inform Emperor Hardin of the truth and rescue Grust. So please, lower your weapon." Marth said, hoping to cause Lorenz to lower his sword, but he was not swayed by Marth's words.

"Prince… I am grateful for the offer. Unfortunately, I cannot comply. You know nothing… Do you think that a man of Emperor Hardin's caliber would make a general out of a man as worthless as Lang without good reason? He called for an invasion to crush the kingdom of Grust and make it a territory of the Empire."

"It… it can't be! Hardin would never do something like that."

"It's hard to believe, I know, but I'm afraid that he's changed a great deal ever since he became emperor. He's no longer the Hardin you once knew during the War of Shadows. Prince… I have one final request of you." Lorenz paused to point towards the open gate behind him, "Within the confines of this stronghold, I am protecting the young prince and princess of Grust. Please… find a way to help them. If you can do just that, I will have no regrets."

"What… General Lorenz, what are you saying?!"

"Prince Marth… My life in exchange for theirs… By any means necessary, please help them… this is the last thing I will ask…" Lorenz raised his blade to the skies and turned it towards himself. With one swift motion, his blade pierced through lower chest and he collapsed on the ground lifelessly.

"General Lorenz! This… This can't be happening!" Marth said in a frantic panic. I dismounted Blazemane as quickly as I could to stand by his side, casting the arrows I had removed to the side. I stood next to him in silence as he stood petrified from the shock. He was taken out of his trance when an old man emerged from the dark gate accompanied by two children.

"Prince Marth, General Lorenz entrusted everything to you. You spared his life and even heard him out and for that we, the people of Grust, thank you. Please, take this and do what you must to protect our last fragments of hope." The old man walked over to Marth and handed him a staff with a twisted shaft and a round, green gem on its tip.

"Thank you… I will do the best that I can." Marth said as he held the staff in his hands and recovered from his state of shock. The elderly man smiled before turning to return to the confines of the fort once again, leaving the children outside. Marth handed the staff over to me and walked towards the children. I held onto the staff as I followed him.

The children held each other's hands tightly. "You, you must be Grust's royal heirs… Prince Yubello and Princess Yumina?"

"Lorenz… he's gone. How can we live on without him?" Yubello cried, burying his face in his hands. His short blonde hair was getting ruffled by his fingers and his tears fell onto his blue shawl. His sister, Yumina, glared at us with her piercing blue eyes as her blonde hair seemed to bounce on her shoulders, but never touching them.

"You, you monsters! Stay away! You're going to murder us just like you murdered Lorenz!" She said, accusing us and using a small stick to threaten us.

"N-no, you have it all wrong!" He said as he walked closer to the children. I followed close by Marth's side to ensure that no harm came to him. "We just-"

"Ah… Prince Marth. You finally caught these filthy traitors." Lang's voice suddenly emerged from the silence. He slowly approached us, pausing to smirk at me and put his hand on my shoulder. I moved to avoid him and he continued towards the children. The children resisted, but Lang ignored their efforts and grabbed them by the arm.

"General Lang! Wait, please! These children have done nothing wrong. Allow me to take custody of them." Marth shouted after Lang as he walked away with the children.

"Don't make me laugh. These brats are coming with me to my castle." Lang stopped to turn towards us, "Besides, my dear prince, you have other priorities. I have received reports of a military revolt in Macedon and Princess Minerva has been imprisoned." He spoke in an unbearably mocking tone.

"A revolt in Macedon? How…? I understand my obligations, General Lang, but, still, these children… let them stay with me, please." Marth's request irritated Lang as he had a sudden outburst.

"Prince, do not try my patience! Listen up you two, you're coming with me!" He turned and led the children away from us, despite their efforts to pry themselves out of his grasp.

"Wait! Lang!" Marth shouted after him.

"The children…!" I stuttered as I watched them get taken away from us. I clenched my fists as a feeling of helpless anger rushed through me.

"Glacia, please." Marth said as he put his hand on my shoulder, relieving some of the tension that was building up in my body, "I share your feelings about this, but we cannot risk the status of our kingdom over this."

"There must be a way we can rescue them…" I said as I stared out towards the horizon. I felt the cool touch of my special necklace on my chest as I worked to let go of my frustration, "Shall we return to the fort? Everyone must be waiting for us."

"Of course. I hope, er, Blazemane doesn't mind giving me another ride." Blazemane gave a soft snort of approval. We climbed onto her saddle and galloped towards the fort. Once we arrived, Jagen ran out to greet us.

"Sire! Glacia! I apologize for not being able to keep General Lang away from the battlefield long enough…" Jagen started.

"No, Jagen. It was perfect timing. Thank you for your efforts." Marth said with a smile as he dismounted, "I was able to talk to General Lorenz, but…" His voice trailed off as his mind returned to the past.

"Let's get back to camp. We can discuss the details there. We run the risk of being the target for a counterattack out here." I suggested and Blazemane neighed in agreement. We gathered the team together, quickly attended to any injuries, and left the fort as a group to deter any leftover rebels from attempting a counterattack. Everyone marched back to camp in high spirits. Marth and I were the only ones not participating in the joyous chaos. Once we arrived back at camp, the sun had begun to set and lanterns began to light up. Our horses were handed off to caretakers at the stables once we arrived at the camp. We gathered in the war council tent and I recounted the events that had taken place at the large fort.

"Prince Marth, you showed a lot of self-control during that situation. It's definitely something to be proud of." Jagen complimented Marth after I had finished my retelling.

"I… I couldn't run the risk of having the people of Altea be branded as traitors. I could never live with such a feeling." Marth said as he stood over the empty table, "General Lorenz…"

"We could have saved him! If only-" Luke started.

"Then we'd look like we're helping the rebels." Rody calmly responded, "It's not a risk that we can take."

"He's always been an honorable man, preferring to die by his own blade than by General Lang's." Draug added. We nodded in silent agreement.

"Thank you for your hard work out there everyone." Marth said and dismissed the meeting. The tent slowly emptied until I was left in the empty tent with Draug.

"You did well today, Glacia." He said, patting me on the back.

"Thank you, Draug. However, my skills still cannot match with your own. I strive to become as prominent on the battlefield as you are."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that I'm prominent…" Draug blushed slightly at my compliment.

"You did a fantastic job holding down the fort while everyone else was fighting outside on the open plain."

"Oh, well, I didn't do it on my own."

"Yet you were a key component in our success. You shouldn't underestimate yourself." I said with a smile.

"You shouldn't either. I'd reckon you're stronger than many of our senior knights, myself included."

"Do you really think so?" Draug answered my question with a nod, "I… I'm still unconfident in my skills… I have to do my best every day to get stronger until I can feel confident."

"Well, enthusiasm is good. Work hard, Glacia." Draug said before taking his lance from the tent wall and walking through the tent flaps. Soon, I put out the lantern, allowing darkness to flood through the tent. I exited the tent and turned left, heading towards the senior knights' tents. Within the sea of tents, a few tents stood out of the crowd. One tent proudly displayed the Altean flag at its pinnacle. A nearby tent donned a smaller flag, but displayed it in a similar fashion. I entered the tent with the smaller flag, pushing its heavy canvas flap out of the way to reveal its opening. The inside resembled a hexagon and was bigger in comparison to the common tents. An opening allowed the dimming sunlight to shine through, illuminating the simple bed that sat on the opposite side. A table and chair were set up next to the bed and a blue rug was spread out on the floor. A wooden crate held spare weapons as well as replacement pieces of armor. I lit a lantern and set it on the desk. Its warm light flooded the tent. I closed the tent's window and left to proceed towards the dining section of the camp.

As I emerged from the tent, a knight approached me. "Royal Guard Glacia?" He asked.

"That's me."

"I hope that you have found your tent to be to your liking."

"It's perfect. Thank you." I thanked him and he promptly left, quickly walking out of sight. Before I left the area, I glanced at Marth's tent as its large flag flapped in the wind. I calmly strolled past the many tents as I headed towards the dining area and walked by them once again as I headed back to my tent after a satisfying meal. Once I got to my tent, the sun had been replaced by the radiant moon and the camp was bathed in its gentle moonlight. I entered my tent and laid my armor on one side of the desk. I left my sheathed sword next to it and snuffed out the lantern before sliding into bed. The covers felt rough as I pulled them over me. I laid in the dark silence with the thoughts of the last battle and the future battle in Macedon on my mind.

I closed my eyes and let myself drift off into the silent night. I was not asleep for long before a rustling noise snapped me back to reality. I jumped out of bed and slowly pushed the heavy tent flap until I could peek outside. A dark figure quickly left the opening of Marth's tent. I ran to my desk and tied my sheathed sword onto my waist before I ventured out into the darkness. The moonlight was bright, making my trek through the dark tents easier. I kept my distance as I followed the figure, keeping one hand on my sword's handle. Soon, I was making my way around tree trunks as the figure took me into the nearby forest.

I emerged from the forest to find myself on a cliff that faced the ocean. The moonlight was brighter and I got a better look at the figure. His blue hair glistened in the moonlight.

"Prince Marth?" I asked into the darkness. Startled by my presence, he turned towards me.

"Oh, Glacia. It's just you…" Marth turned back towards the ocean and took a seat by the cliff's edge.

"What are you doing out here at such a late hour?" I asked as I sat down next to him. Marth took a deep breath.

"I have a lot on my mind." He said as he stared out at the gentle waves as the moonlight glistened on the clear water.

"Is it about…?"

"It is. I still remember when we first met. He cared deeply about his people and he fought hard for them, only fighting alongside me because he believed it was best for Grust." Marth paused for a second and shifted his gaze to the grassy ground underneath him, "He was a great ally and a great man…"

"He must have a lot of trust in you to entrust the royal children to you."

"We fought for a common cause. Through that, we came to know each other very well. Now, he's…"

"General Lorenz may be gone, but his impact on the world remains. The royal children… we have to get them under our protection."

"Glacia, I'm sorry I got you involved in this. You don't have to agree with me if you don't truly believe it."

"No, I do." I gently held his hand, "I agree with your ideals, Marth. Truly." Marth cast his gaze into my eyes as he gave me a sad grin.

"Then, please… stay here with me." And I sat beside him, underneath a blanket of stars, staring into the cosmos.


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Macedonian Prowess

The ship rocked as the last of the supplies were brought on board. The opening sails bathed in the morning sunlight as they caught the wind, pushing the ship out into the open ocean once again. The light bounced off of my armor as I stood at the edge of the ship, watching the land disappear from view as we sailed into the ocean towards the land of the kingdom of Macedon. The tall mountains slowly disappeared from view.

"And so we're off to Macedon." Gordin said as he joined me to enjoy the calming sights of the ocean.

"Indeed. Have you been to Macedon before?"

"I have." He leaned over the ship's railing to get a good look at the crashing waves below, "I remember fighting on their land during the War of Shadows. Their main force consisted of pegasus knights and dracoknights."

"Dracoknights?"

"Powerful knights astride wyverns. They're a terror to fight."

"I could imagine."

"There was a group of pegasus knights in particular, the Whitewings. They fought with us as our allies during the last war. Few can match their terrifying speeds."

"I wonder if they will be our opponents today."

"I hope that won't be the case. However, if it is, be sure to employ my bow as well as Ryan's. Arrows will do well against pegasus knights as well as dracoknights."

"I'll keep that in mind. How are you and Ryan, by the way? He's been spending a lot of time with you lately."

"We've been having a great time together, though I wish he'd focus more on his training. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having fun, but there's a time and place for everything."

"Well, he's always had that childlike frame of mind." I said with a soft chuckle.

"He does. I guess that's why we get along so well." Gordin smiled. We gently swayed with the water as our conversation trailed off, our gazes transfixed on the glimmering waves. As the sunlight intensified, we parted ways and I retreated deeper into the ship. The hallways were filled with the noise of chattering knights and the clanging of metal on metal. After a few turns, I came to a door with a sign that read "Training Room". I suppose this could be a good use of my time, I thought, I should have a few more hours before we arrive on land. The door creaked open to reveal a well-lit room. Training dummies lined the walls. Near the wall opposite of me, Jagen stood facing the wall with a large wooden pole in his hands. His typical armor was nowhere to be seen, replaced with a more casual outfit consisting of a deep red shirt and black pants.

"Ah, Glacia." He said turning towards me, "Here to pass the time?"

"I am." Before I could get myself acquainted with the room, Jagen passed his wooden pole to me, grabbing another one from a crate.

"Care for a friendly spar?" He asked, gripping the pole in his hands as if it were a lance.

"It'd be an honor." I said. To make it a fair fight, I removed my armor and put it by the door. I got comfortable with the pole in my hands before stepping towards him. With a quick nod, we swung our poles and the sound echoed as they made contact. Jagen slipped away from my reach before swiftly returning for a powerful strike on my wrist. My grip slipped and my pole fell to the floor. Without a second thought, I picked it up once again.

"Out already?" Jagen remarked as we stepped away from each other.

"I'm just getting started." I familiarized myself with the pole once again, giving it a few spins before lunging towards Jagen. Again and again, our poles collided with each other and the sound resonated throughout the room. We both searched for an opening as we continually clashed. The stalemate was broken when we managed to push ourselves past each other. As if by instinct, I spun on my heel and faced Jagen's back. Once we regained our balance, I took the opportunity to strike, landing a solid hit on his side. In response, he turned towards me for a counterattack. Our poles clunked together once again, but I was able to have more freedom of movement. I moved my pole in a spiral and, with a flick of the wrist, I disarmed him.

"Your speed is notable." He said, retrieving his pole, "But even with your skills, you must remain wary of your upcoming opponents." He took a defensive stance as I approached him once again.

"Of course. I'll never let my guard down similar to how I'll never neglect my training." I gave my pole a few spins before bringing it down on Jagen once again. We continued to spar for the remainder of the trip, stopping occasionally to catch our breath and cool off. The ship sailed into calmer waters as it approached Macedon's shores. After returning our wooden poles to their crates, we walked out onto the sunbathed deck. Soldiers busied themselves with setting up the campsite while the ship's crew assisted them by transporting crates of supplies. The war council tent was the first to be completed.

"Our scout should already be out in the field by now. You should go ahead. I'll be joining you shortly with Prince Marth." Jagen shortly left after finishing his sentence. I took my time to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment. There was an abundance of trees that covered the landscape, creating an ocean of leaves. The roof of a tall fort peeked out of the ocean. When I had set foot on the grass, I heard a loud flapping noise from above. I looked up to see the shadowy figure of a wyvern pass over. Its massive wings disturbed the calmness of the forest, violently rustling leaves and startling birds.

I was hit with a sudden realization and almost ran to the war council tent. As I arrived, the scout had returned and handed me a map that was rolled up and tied with a thin string. I quickly thanked him before disappearing into the tent. I moved the many writing supplies off of the table before rolling the map out. While I waited for Jagen to arrive, I studied the map. There was an exceptional amount of tree cover, but there was an open plain in front of a large fort. Many smaller forts were scattered around the area. The messy scrawls on the map detailed the types of opponents I would have to face. Several cavaliers, spearmen, and a few archers littered the future battlefield. A thief had also been spotted en route to a nearby village as well. We should get to the village before the thief does, I thought as I scanned the remainder of the map, who knows what he'll do to the villagers. I grabbed a small piece of charcoal and began to plan an attack.

I had finished half of the plan when the tent flaps were pushed aside. I looked up, expecting Jagen, but was met with Arran's solemn face.

"Glacia? In charge of strategy once again, are you?" He slowly approached the table and took a good look at the rough lines and circles I had made.

"Partially. I'm still waiting for Jagen and Prince Marth to arrive, but I couldn't waste any time." I resumed sketching my plan, "There was a dracoknight that had flown over our campsite. I have reason to believe it was an enemy scout. I fear they will launch an attack soon."

"Are you certain? It is possible that it could have just been a wild wyvern."

"That is true, but I don't want to take any risks."

"Yet you take the risk of a rushed plan?"

"I'd prefer that risk over risking the well-being of my friends."

"Your friends..? My, you sound just like him." Arran said, cracking a smile and shaking his head. Before I could ask him what he meant, Jagen burst into the tent with Marth right behind him.

"We have a dire situation. The campsite is under attack. We must mount an attack at once." Jagen blurted.

"I'll stay with the camp and help them defend." Arran said before quickly departing.

"I apologize for depending on you for our battle plans once again, Glacia, but we have no time to waste." Marth said as he joined me by the table.

"I was afraid this would happen…" I thought out loud as the tent opened once again, allowing the remainder of the team from the last battle to enter, "Everyone gather around. Since Arran will be staying behind to assist the camp, everyone here will be able to attack the rebels' leader directly, effectively ending their attack and allowing us to rescue Prince Minerva of Macedon."

"Macedon… To think that I'd have to fight here again." Marth murmured as he slowly scanned the map.

"Are you acquainted with Princess Minerva, perchance?"

"I am. Princess Minerva fought as our ally in the previous war. All for the peace of Macedon, she took it upon herself to fight her own brother, Prince Michalis. She had the three pegasus knight sisters, Palla, Catria, and Est, as subordinates. Each of them powerful in their own right, but together their power is unmatched."

"I see. They sound like wonderful allies to have."

"Indeed. Although, Est, the youngest of the three, has retired from knighthood and now lives happily in Altea, Catria and Palla should still be here in Macedon. I hope they're safe…" Before I was able to shift the focus to the battle plan, the sound of flapping wings filled the tent, stopping with a loud thud as hooves made contact with the ground. I moved towards the entrance, keeping myself between the opening and Marth. My fingers slowly wrapped around my sword's handle as our sudden visitor revealed themselves.

She stepped out of the sunlight and into the flickering light of the lanterns with her snow white pegasus behind her, its reins in her hand along with a long lance. Her short hair was a deep ocean blue and hovered a couple inches above her shoulders. Bright white armor covered her chest and shoulders with a short, light blue dress underneath. A short white cape flowed from her back, slightly concealing the sword at her side. Long, dark blue boots covered her legs and elbow-length fingerless gloves covered her arms. Her eyes immediately locked onto Marth and her face seemed to suddenly fill with hope.

"Prince Marth! Thank goodness you've come to Macedon!" She exclaimed as she quickly walked towards him. Marth momentarily put his hand on my shoulder before stepping towards our visitor. My hand eased off of my sword.

"Catria! I had received word of a rebellion in Macedon. Are you unharmed?" Marth quickly asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes, I'm fine. My older sister Palla and I managed to escape, but Princess Minerva was captured. Please, you have to rescue her. At this rate, her life will be in danger!"

"Of course. We'll do our best to ensure she returns to us unharmed." Marth paused to turn towards me, "Catria, this is Glacia, my Royal Guard and our tactician for the upcoming battle."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." I said, stepping forward.

"Likewise." Catria said as she shook my hand, "I hope your strategies will help save Princess Minerva."

"I will do my best." I returned to the table and picked up the charcoal once again, quickly scribbling new lines onto the map.

"We will have to break through these woods," Catria said as she walked over to the table and observed my markings, "However, General Rumel's dracoknights are lurking in this area. We should plan around it." She pointed towards several forts on the map.

"Dracoknights… we'll need a different strategy for them." I thought out loud as I made more scribbles on the map. I spent a few minutes before taking my eyes off of the map. "Alright everyone, here's the plan. We'll split into four groups. I'll be with Prince Marth and Gordin as we head towards the nearby village. After ensuring their safety, we will head north into these woods." I pointed towards the mass of trees that populated the right side of the map. "Here, we'll work together to bring down the dracoknights as well as anyone else that may get in our way. Draug and Ryan will travel together and occupy the forest to the left. Draug can act as Ryan's shield as he fires at anything that moves."

"Is-is that enough to protect me?" Ryan asked, visibly shaking.

"You'll be fine. Not much can penetrate this armor." Draug reassured him with a pat on the back.

"Luke, Rody, Cecille. You'll be riding together as you charge straight through this forest and catch the thief before he reaches the village. Once he's out of the picture, proceed to attack anything in your way as you go straight for these forts here." I pointed to a group of forts that stood between our campsite and the general's fort. "These will keep you protected enough until it becomes safe to advance. Give yourselves a few minutes to rest in the clearing in between the forests to allow us to eliminate the dracoknights before proceeding."

"We have to wait? I just want to get in there!" Luke protested.

"Patience is a virtue, Luke, that'll keep you from the maws of a dragon." Rody remarked.

"Don't worry about him. I'll keep him in check." Cecille added.

"Thank you. I'll be- we'll all be depending on you three to do well out there. Catria will accompany Malicia and act as a mobile healer. Will that be possible?" I looked up from the map, expecting a response. Catria turned to take a look at Malicia before replying.

"Of course."

"Your path of action will involve flying in towards the clearing between the two forests that separates us from the main fort. However, you must take care not to enter the firing range of the archers. Your assistance will help keep injuries to a minimum. Once the enemies have been cleared out and the forts in front of the main fort have been captured, launch an all-out attack on the rebel general. Remember to remain wary of dracoknights." I reminded the group as I concluded the war council session. A loud rumble of a fireball hitting the ground reminded us of the ongoing battle for the campsite. "Let's go, everyone." At the very moment my sentence came to a close, the team rushed out of the tent to grab their mounts and head towards the battlefield. As I made my way to the opening with Marth, Jagen's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"I am sure you have things on your mind about what happened in Grust, but you must not allow them to distract you from this battle. Rest assured, we will rescue the royal children." He said as I pushed the tent flaps aside.

"I understand. I'll do my best." I faced him for a moment before turning around once again and leaving the tent. The sound of chaos in the distance was intense as the sound of clashing metal and neighing horses rippled through the air. The sound of approaching hooves caught my attention and I saw Blazemane sprinting towards me. She dove into my arms as she sniffed me. I stroked her neck in an attempt to calm her down.

"What could've happened that spooked her so much?" Marth asked as he watched my hand move up and down my horse's neck.

"I have a feeling the battle reached the stables. She's fearless on the battlefield, but she's terrified of conflict when she's on her own." Blazemane raised her head as she began to take control of her fear. "Let's get moving. Every second we spend here gives the rebels more time to prepare for us."

"Right. Will it be alright if I..?"

"Of course." I answered him before he could finish the question. I helped him climb onto Blazemane after I had situated myself on the saddle. Blazemane broke into a gallop and we quickly made our way to the battlefield. With swift reactions, Blazemane weaved in and out of the trees before entering the bright plain. I spotted a village with wooden fences around the border to my right. Scattered houses populated the plain to my left. I rode up to the gathering team and allowed Marth to dismount. "Everyone, attack!" I shouted into the still air and the battle commenced. Gordin walked up to me as the rest of the team split into their groups. Malicia got comfortable behind Catria and they launched into the skies. Luke led the group of cavaliers into the forest and Ryan followed close behind Draug.

"Let's hurry to the village before the battle gets too close." Marth ordered as he ran to the village gates. Gordin and I followed close behind with our weapons at the ready. A small clink rang out as he prepared an arrow for firing. My right hand hovered near my blade, ready to unsheathe it at any time. The grass underneath our feet turned into dusty dirt as we approached the gates. The gatekeepers kept their eyes on us as we got closer, gripping their weapons tightly. Marth spoke to the guard closest to him. "We're not here to fight. We want to help keep your people out of danger."

"We appreciate you coming, Prince, but we've already gotten everyone out to a safe place." The guard said, "We're here to defend the village itself." Marth nodded in understanding and turned towards us. Suddenly, a muscular man emerged from the village gates. A white headband held his dark brown hair upright. His tunic was sleeveless and he wore a small pouch on his belt. His axe was resting on his shoulder.

"That should be the last of 'em." He told the guard, who nodded in response. "Prince Marth! O'er here!" He shouted after noticing us. Marth ran over to him almost instantly with me close behind.

"You're… Cord! What are you doing so far from Talys?" Marth asked as he stopped in front of the warrior.

"I couldn't sit still when I heard you's fighting again, so I came to join in. I'm one of Talys's mercenaries! If ya died, Princess Caeda'd cry. Prince Marth, lemme fight on your side once again."

"Of course. We'd love to have you fighting for us." Marth said with a smile, "Gordin's here with me and this is Glacia, my Royal Guard."

"Name's Cord. Pleasure meetin' ya!" Cord said as he firmly shook my hand, "Gordin! It's been a while, eh?"

"It has, but we have a fight to fight. We should catch up later." Gordin stated as he scanned our surroundings.

"Ha, right! Well, lead the way Prince Marth." Cord removed his axe from its resting position, holding its thick handle tightly in his hand.

"Let's head towards the first clearing and help everyone else out. I hope they're doing alright." Marth spoke as he walked in the direction of the rendezvous point. Cord and I followed alongside him while Gordin kept behind us. As we came closer, the sound of clashing weapons grew louder. Marth picked up his pace until we were in a sprint, running towards the battle.

"Stay behind Cord, I'm running ahead!" I shouted to Gordin who nodded in response. Blazemane let out an intimidating neigh before sprinting past Marth and into the center of the battle. We were greeted by a small group of archers attempting to execute a pincer attack on Luke. He was slashing through their ranks in record time, slashing his sword in every direction possible.

The archers aimed their loaded bows towards me and fired. I ducked behind Blazemane's head as she jumped over the arrows, landing right in front of the terrified archers. I unsheathed my blade in an instant and ran it through one of the archers, penetrating his breastplate. His lifeless body slid off of my blade and I turned to find my next target. Before I could start an attack, Rody rode by and took out the remaining archers.

"Glacia! Glad you could make it." He said with a hint of sarcasm, "I got something for you." He came closer and handed me a strange blade. The sword was generally slim with a small crossbar that was barely twice the width of the blade. The hilt was wrapped in a soft, pink fabric. "We got it off of the thief we caught sneaking towards the village. Maybe you can make good use of it. Luke and I can't seem to wield it correctly. It's a bit too flimsy for our hands." Shortly after finishing his sentence, he bolted off. I held the blade in my hands and it felt strangely comfortable. I heard footsteps to my right and instinctively looked in its direction. Marth had finally caught up to me with Cord and Gordin close behind. I let him run past me before following him. We cut down more archers before reaching an unoccupied fort. We took the opportunity to catch our breath.

From the large archway that made up the fort's front entrance, we could see the chaos was dying down as the battle moved towards the main fort. I spotted Catria taking off from the forest and let out a sigh of relief. I had feared that the archers got to her when I wasn't able to see her in the sky.

"Hey, uh, I don't mean to be rude, but I think I should go help out the main force. My axe 'ere ain't that great at staying quiet." Cord suggested as he looked in the direction of the fight.

"That's not a bad idea, but not everyone knows who you are." Marth pointed out.

"Ah, no worries, eh? Already made friends with the red headed lass. She's a harsh one, she is." Cord said as he raised his axe once again, "If you'd allow me, I'll be off." Marth nodded in confirmation and he ran out of the fort and disappeared into the trees.

"We should get going towards our next position as well." I said, readying my sword. Blazemane sighed as she warmed up for more battles.

"Be careful. We're going up against dracoknights now." Marth said as he looked me in the eyes.

"I will. I don't plan on losing to an overgrown lizard rider." I said with a smile.

"Let's go, then." Gordin picked up his bow and walked up to us. Marth and I nodded in agreement and we made our way into the forest behind the fort. It was not long before a loud rustling caught our attention. We raised our weapons as a figure stepped into view. He had a long bow slung over his shoulder. His green tunic was sleeveless, similar to Cord's. A green headband held up his blonde hair. His pants were a darker shade of green compared to his tunic, causing him to blend in with the surrounding foliage.

"Lower your weapons, I've been sent here by Catria. I mean no harm." He said with his hand outstretched, ready to block any incoming attacks. Our weapons lowered when we were certain that he meant what he said. My blade was in a resting position, but my body remained ready to strike at any moment. "Name's Warren. I'm looking to join your cause."

"You know Catria?" Marth asked. Warren nodded.

"I do. I'd explain, but there's a battle to be won. We don't have time for idle chat." He said as he readied his bow. "My bow is yours to command."

"Right. Follow us and fight alongside Gordin." Marth said and pointed to Gordin who looked slightly nervous about the slight shift in plans. We continued on our way through the forest until we spotted our next target. On top of the empty fort sat a crimson red wyvern. Its head swiveled on a scaly neck as it scanned the area. Its rider sat comfortably in a saddle on the creature's back. He wore thick steel armor on his body and a helmet covered his head.

"Remember the plan." I whispered to my team.

"Right." Gordin said and we split up, moving to the appropriate positions. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Blazemane shook her head as leaves fell on her.

"Ready, Blazey?" I whispered in her ear and she raised her head in response. I rubbed her neck gently to calm myself. "Let's go, then." I grabbed her reins and whipped her into a blazing sprint. Her thunderous steps kicked up dust clouds and the dracoknight immediately noticed our presence. Its vast wings unfurled and it took off into the skies. We ran around the fort to allow the wyvern enough time to follow right behind us. I turned around to check and saw its gaping maw open. I kept close to Blazemane's mane as I heard the beast breathe its flame breath onto us. I concentrated on the path ahead of us in an attempt to ignore the burning flames. I felt the cold presence of my necklace on my chest as the flames completely enveloped us.

Before I realized it, we escaped the wyvern's inferno and approached the edge of the forest we were hiding in. The dracoknight was getting closer to me and started to approach me on my right side. I kept my head close to Blazemane and a flurry of arrows flew over my head. The wyvern roared in pain as the arrows ripped through its wings, inhibiting its ability to remain aloft. An arrow pierced its scales and lodged itself in its chest. The wyvern fell to the ground as it was no longer able to take the pain. Blazemane screeched to a stop as the wyvern slid across the grassy plain. As the wyvern came to a stop, a blue flash came from the forest as Marth ran in to quickly finish it off along with its rider. Blazemane galloped towards the defeated beast.

"Wow… the plan actually worked." Gordin said as he emerged from the forest with Warren.

"It was a risky move putting yourself out there." Warren commented, "At least it worked out in the end."

"There's one final battle to have…" Marth said, his voice trailing off as he gazed at the ongoing battle at Rumel's fortress.

"Let's get going." Warren said. We silently agreed and quickly headed towards the ongoing battle.

When we got to the scene of the battle, Cecille was engaged in a fierce battle with Rumel. His black dragon roared as its claws clashed with Cecille's blade. Rumel was equipped with red armor and an axe was gripped in his hand. His black hair highlighted his cruel expression. In one motion, the axe was launched from his hand, hitting Cecille's side before returning to him. The hit knocked her off balance and she tumbled to the ground as her horse ran to safety from the giant dragon. Before he could finish her off, I made a mad dash towards him with my blade outstretched.

"Oh, so it would seem Altea's crown prince has come to save the day. What a pity his little adventure ends here!" Rumel shouted as he noticed Marth. Before I could get close enough for an attack, his dragon stomped the ground in front of me, forcing Blazemane to stop in her tracks to avoid being squished. We took several steps back to avoid any more similar attacks. I noticed that a majority of my friends were gathered around the dragon with varying amounts of injuries, many treating the wounds of their comrades. "I was about to end this little crusade, but it seems I've been rudely interrupted. You there." He pointed a long finger straight at me, prompting his dragon to take notice. "Let's have some fun!" Almost in an instant, his dragon jumped into the air and charged at me. My blade was already in my hand and I heard Marth shout my name, but I was too late.

He thrust his hand at my neck and grabbed onto the top of my breastplate. His dragon flew upwards at a fierce speed, making it impossible for me to raise my blade. Once we were out of the range of bows, his dragon stopped ascending and the sudden stop forced my sword to fly out of my hand. The flaps of his dragon's wings echoed in my ears as I looked down. At that height, I was able to see the camp and the forest's trees were nothing but green specks. I have to think fast, I thought as panic began to fill my mind. My eyes darted from side to side, looking for a way out. A crazed look swept over Rumel's face as he laughed to himself. "Well, princeling, let's see if your friend here can fly!" My hand immediately grabbed onto his as I felt his grip weakening. "You don't really think that can save you, do you?" He said with a smile before giving his hand a violent shake, releasing my grip.

I clenched my left hand as I felt myself freefall. It didn't last long as I was soon kept in the air by hanging onto one of his dragon's dangling reins. "Oh, what a bother." Rumel said and commanded his dragon to fly. I swung my right hand over to the other half of the reins and held on tight as the dragon began to fly again. Rumel flew erratically, randomly ascending and descending in an attempt to shake me off. I grabbed onto the dragon's harness and attempted to climb on top. Rumel was ready for me and sunk his axe into my left shoulder. I fought through the pain and managed to grab a dagger from his saddle. I retreated to my original position with dagger in hand.

A different kind of flapping came from underneath. I looked down and noticed Catria attempting to save me. Her pegasus looked at me as I struggled to stay attached to the dragon. I waited for her to fly ahead of my position before I stabbed the dragon's neck with as much force as I could muster. It roared as I dragged the dagger downward, leaving a large gash in its neck. The dragon picked up speed as it panicked. I stabbed the dragon once more before I let go of the harness. Air rushed past me as I fell, filling my ears with the sound of powerful wind. I fought to keep my eyes open. Soon, I felt the solid rump of a pegasus underneath me.

"Oh, Glacia! Thank the heavens!" Catria exclaimed as I repositioned myself on her pegasus. I looked up to see Rumel's dragon preparing for an emergency landing. I looked down to see Blazemane following right below me.

"Catria, can you bring her down?" I asked and held onto her saddle.

"Of course." Catria's pegasus folded her wings and descended quickly before stopping her descent several feet above the ground. I took one look underneath myself and jumped off. Blazemane's comforting body stopped my fall as she jumped up to meet me. Our combined weight hit the ground with a loud thud. I directed her in the direction of Rumel and grabbed the pink-hilted blade Rody had given me. A roar echoed through the forest as I entered the clearing made by the dragon's bulky body. Rumel was on the ground, recovering from a fall. His dragon wreaked havoc in the area as its pain became unbearable.

"You!" Rumel shouted with an angry tone, "Gah, you'll pay for this!" His axe flew through the air and struck Blazemane in the ribs. She neighed in pain as the axe drew blood. I took my sword and dismounted, refusing to allow Blazemane to continue to get hurt. Rumel took out another axe and threw it towards me. I narrowly avoided it and continued to run towards him. He kept throwing axes in my direction and each one flew past me by an inch. Frustrated by his failure to hit me, he grasped his big steel axe and charged at me. I raised my blade and responded with a charge of my own. Our weapons clashed and sparks flew. Utilizing my blade's light weight, I slipped away from his axe and landed a solid blow on his side, causing him to fall to the ground. In one swift motion, I finished the battle, his now lifeless body lying in a clearing of his own making. His dragon had flown away during our duel, occasionally releasing an ear-piercing screech as it flew higher into the clouds. I grabbed the key that fell out of Rumel's pocket and returned to Blazemane who was wincing at her wound.

Ignoring the intensifying pain in my shoulder, I took out my vulnerary and applied the last of the medicine directly onto her wound. She protested at first, but she soon calmed down as her pain subsided. As the last of my adrenaline faded, the pain from the large gash in my shoulder radiated throughout my arm. I was so focused on fighting for my life, I didn't realize that the left side of my tunic was soaked in blood. I nuzzled Blazemane's face as I rubbed her neck to calm her as well as to calm myself. She noticed my injury and gently nuzzled my arm.

"I know… I'll be okay…" I whispered in her ear. "Come on. We need to meet up with the rest of the team." I gently led her back to Rumel's fort as I fought through the throbbing pain. After a few minutes of walking, I heard the thunderous sound of hooves rushing towards me. I released Blazemane's reins and gripped my blade instead. As Luke crashed through the trees and stopped in front of me, I released my grip and returned it to Blazemane's reins.

"Glacia, you're alright! You had us all worried sick." He said as he positioned himself beside me, "Climb on, I'll get you back to the fort in no time!" He extended his hand towards me. I looked at Blazemane and we made eye contact for a few seconds. I grabbed onto his hand as tightly as possible as he pulled me up. I felt strange sitting behind Luke, but it was for my own good. Luke's horse began to gallop and Blazemane galloped right behind him. As we rode through the forest, I noticed Luke had a few slashes on his side that hadn't been healed yet. I began to worry that my friends were hurt because my plan was rushed. Maybe Arran was right, I thought as the fort came into view. Luke allowed me to dismount when we reached the fort's fortified doors. Blazemane continued to follow close behind me.

"Glacia!" Marth exclaimed as he ran to me. "I'm so glad you're alright. Are you hurt?" He asked before promptly noticing my shoulder. He motioned for Malicia to come over. She finished healing Luke's injuries before rushing over to me. Her staff glowed and my arm was bathed in a warm light. As the light dissipated, the wound disappeared, but the hole in my armor remained.

"Malicia hopes she got to everyone." Malicia announced as she looked around.

"We still don't have a way to get into his fort." Draug admitted as he walked up to us, "Door's practically impervious."

"I think I have the key." I said before unhooking the looted keys from my belt. "This was in General Rumel's pocket."

"Right. Let's prepare ourselves. He may have more soldiers awaiting us inside." Marth said as he led me towards the doors. Everyone readied their weapons as I inserted the key and gave it a twist, unlocking it. With one strong push, the doors creaked open to reveal a young lady in a pink dress. Her long brown hair was draped around her chest as she clutched a strange book in her arms. A couple tassels were attached to the thin belt she wore around her waist. She had a strong grip on a large sack that was in her hand. She took a step back as she adapted to the sudden light change.

"Prince Marth!" She exclaimed and ran to us, "Thank heavens. What a pleasant surprise meeting you here."

"Likewise, Linde, but how did you wind up in a dangerous place like this?" Marth asked as he put away his rapier.

"Well, I desperately needed to see you, so I set out to find you. Unfortunately, the Macedonian soldiers found me suspicious so they dragged me to this fortress." Linde explained before setting the sack and her book on the ground. "There was a lot of chaos and I used the opportunity to sneak out of the fort. I was just about to leave when you opened the doors."

"Is that so? I'm glad you're safe, but-" Marth stopped midsentence when he noticed Linde's interest in me.

"And who might you be?" She asked me, curiously.

"I'm Glacia, Marth's Royal Guard." I responded, "Pleasure meeting you."

"I'm Linde. Pleasure meeting you as well. I apologize for staring for so long. You looked like someone I knew a long time ago."

"You knew someone who looked like me?" I asked, curious of who was the other person who had a hair color similar to mine.

"I did. I remember my father had a girl come over one day. I could never forget her hair, but I must be mistaken. She went by a different name."

"Do you remember it?"

"Sadly, I do not. I was very young and we didn't really meet. I just saw her."

"Ah, that's a shame."

"Oh! I mustn't forget. Princess Nyna requested that I delivered this to you." Linde suddenly exclaimed as she turned to Marth. She reached down and opened the large sack and produced a large, golden shield.

"Huh? This… This is the Fire Emblem!" Marth said as she handed it to him. The shield was just as it was in the pictures I was shown when I was a junior knight. It was a brilliant gold with intricate details. Five sockets allowed for the placement of five spherical gems. As I looked upon its glistening details, I felt an intense urge to protect it with my life, but also an intense feeling of fear. "But… why? Why give this to me now? Especially at a time when Archanea has so much influence under Emperor Hardin's reign? In this peaceful age, why is Princess Nyna giving me the Champion's Proof...?" Marth asked with increasing worry.

"I don't understand either. Princess Nyna didn't explain why... I remember her eyes seemed so sad... I think she may have been crying..." Linde slowly answered as she thought about it.

"Princess Nyna crying? What on earth has been happening...? Linde, after we achieve our mission here, I will go see Princess Nyna. Until then, I want you to remain with us."

"Of course." Linde said with a smile.

Marth turned to me. "Let's hurry back to camp. Hopefully, without a general leading them, the Macedonian rebels stopped their attack."

"Right." I agreed and began to lead Blazemane out of the fort's entryway. Before I could get on her back, Linde ran up to me.

"Hey, can I ask you something, Royal Guard Glacia?" She asked as she matched my walking pace.

"Of course and, please, just call me Glacia." I told her and we started our walk back to the campsite together.

"What made you want to become Prince Marth's Royal Guard?"

"Well, that part was a bit unplanned. I initially just wanted to join the Altean Army, but I guess Prince Marth deemed me able enough to guard him."

"He must've seen something special in you." Linde said with a smile, "He seems to have a knack for that."

"Me? Special? Your words are too kind."

"I mean it. He seems to care a lot about you. There's something with the way he looks at you…" A long moment of silence between us followed her comment as I took time to think about Marth's actions towards me. He's definitely been treating me like a good friend, I thought, but doesn't he treat all of his soldiers that way? "Anyway, enough about your job, tell me a little more about yourself. Do you use magic?"

"Not at all," I said as I broke myself out of my trance, "I fight with swords and lances on Blazemane's back." I gave Blazemane's shoulder a light pat when I mentioned her name.

"Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"

"I used to be, but I've gotten used to it. How did you meet Prince Marth, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I fought alongside him during the last war with my magic. As the daughter of Pontifex Miloah, I'm able to use the powerful Aura tome." She promptly opened the book she had been holding in her arms and a small ball of light appeared in her hand. The energy radiating from the orb was powerful, despite its size. As quickly as it was formed, it disappeared as her book slammed shut.

"Pontifex Miloah… I've heard he was an extremely powerful mage."

"You've heard correctly. He was deemed worthy of wielding Aura by the White Sage himself." She brushed off a leaf that had fallen onto the book's leather cover, "Unfortunately, his colleague, Gharnef, became jealous of this. He stole the Darksphere from Gotoh, created the Imhullu tome, and…" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the tome. She sighed deeply and hugged the tome tightly. "I'm just glad Gharnef no longer exists in the realm of the living. He won't be able to hurt anyone else. I just miss my father sometimes."

"I… I'm sorry for your loss." I slowly said, "I know how it feels to lose a loved one." Her gaze slowly moved up until it met my eyes.

"…You've been through this, too?"

"Yeah. It was about a year and a half ago, but I remember that day like it was yesterday." Blazemane sighed loudly as if to agree. "I was just returning from a fun day playing outside my grandfather's cabin. I had been living with him in the forest for as long as I could remember. My parents had been mysteriously killed, leaving my grandfather to be the last member of my immediate family that I could turn to. I remember the door was wide open, which was very odd as the door was usually closed to keep wild critters out. Just as I walked through the door, two strange men jumped out of a window. The cabin was a mess." I paused to take a deep breath, "I ran through all the rooms looking for him before… before I reached his workshop. His hammer was still in his hand as he laid on the wooden floor in a pool of blood."

"Oh my… that's awful." Linde commented with a look of extreme worry. I responded with a weak nod.

"After I got over my feelings, I fought through the horrible scene to give my grandfather a proper burial. I left for Altea Castle several days afterward to seek solace within its walls, bringing only what I needed. Grandfather told me to never trust anyone but Prince Marth in dire times..."

"So you're…"

"Alone. I'm alone now. I don't have a family anymore." I felt several tears fall from my eyes.

"No, you're wrong." Linde said, stopping me in my tracks. "We're your family. Me, Prince Marth, Jagen, Gordin… everyone. I know that sometimes you can't help but to feel isolated from the world. I've been there. Trust me, we'll always be here for you." She gently smiled and softly hugged me. We embraced each other underneath the tree tops for about a minute before continuing our walk back to the campsite. We walked in silence, but having each other's presence was enough. As we got close to the campsite, I turned towards her.

"Linde, I'm sorry if that was a bit much."

"No, it's quite alright. I like being able to relate, despite how dark the subject may be. I hope we get to know each other better in the future."

"As do I." I said with a small smile as we stepped into the camp. Linde turned in the direction of Marth's tent.

"I'm going to get myself situated here. I'll see you around." She said before taking off. I pulled out my necklace and held it in my palm. Its stone was as pristine as the day it was given to me. I let it hang outside of my armor and I started my walk back to my tent. On the way, I dropped Blazemane off at the stables and stopped by the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat, eating it while I walked through the busy camp. I looked around and noticed the tents weren't damaged in the attack. Not a single tent was torn. The ground, however, was littered with bent weapons, large sticks, and stones. Occasionally, deep claw marks are seen in the dirt. Soldiers rushed around the campsite cleaning the pathways as I walked past them. As I finished my meal and turned the corner, I spotted Jagen walking towards me. He gave me a short wave as I walked up to him.

"Glacia. Back already?" He asked in a joking manner.

"Just returned, actually. How was the defense?"

"It was easily won, but very odd. They did not seem to want to attack. They fought defensively as if to draw the battle out."

"Perhaps they wanted to prompt an early battle…"

"It is definitely a possibility… I was meaning to ask you, since you seem to be doing quite well in the position. Would you like to officially accept the role of being our primary tactician for the remainder of our quest?"

"I… I'd be honored to." I replied, slightly shocked by the sudden offer.

"Good." Jagen smiled at my response, "Your stratagems are impressive and will certainly benefit us in the future."

"Thank you. I've only learned from the best." I said, thinking about the many books that had been abandoned by Katarina. Jagen excused himself with a nod and walked past me. I resumed my walk back to my tent, reaching its leather walls within a few minutes. I removed my armor and set it down on my desk before placing my sword beside it. I changed out of my ripped shirt and got comfortable on my desk chair. I leaned back and relaxed for a few minutes. I was interrupted when my tent was opened by a cautious Catria.

"Hey, Glacia… Mind if I come in?" She asked from the tent's opening.

"Not at all. Come in." I said as I got comfortable in the chair again. Slowly, she entered the tent.

"I just wanted to check on you after that stunt you pulled on the battlefield." She took a seat on the edge of my bed after I motioned for her to.

"I appreciate your concern. It was definitely something I wouldn't have been able to train for, but I'm alright now."

"That's a relief." Catria said as she released a sigh of relief, "I've noticed your synergy with your horse. You've had her for a long time, haven't you?"

"I have. How can you tell?"

"Just the way you two look at each other. There's clearly a lot of trust between you." As she ended her sentence, her gaze slowly gravitated towards my necklace. "Your necklace's stone… where'd you get such a beauty?"

"It was passed down to me from my parents. I've always kept it with me as a good luck charm."

"It's clearly been working." She said with a gentle giggle, "Well, I should get out of your hair. We'll be marching to General Rucke's fortress to continue our search for Princess Minerva tomorrow morning. I'm lending a hand to prepare for the trip. See you tomorrow, Glacia." Catria quickly walked over to the entryway, waving to me before disappearing from view.

For the remainder of the day, I worked with the campsite's blacksmith to repair my armor as well as to learn how to do it on my own. Before the day was over, I sat at my desk and read over Katarina's tactic books. There were so many things to consider: speed, defense, strength, skill. We're bound to meet more dangerous foes in the future, I thought to myself as I turned the page, and then these aspects can mean life or death. I continued to read deep into the night. I fell asleep before I could make it into my bed.


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Quelling the Chaos

A rough hand softly shook my shoulder, slowly pulling me out of my slumber.

"Glacia, wake up. We're just about to leave." Jagen's voice filled my ears. I slowly lifted my head from the open book that had served as my pillow for the night. I brushed my hair out of my face to look at him. "Grab what you need quickly and meet us at the War Council tent." I nodded in agreement and he quickly left me to myself. I spent several minutes waking myself up before I began to gather what I needed. I put my armor on, secured my sword on my waist, and neatly stored Katarina's books in the crate near my desk. As I stepped outside, I was approached by a soldier. I nodded at him and he began to deconstruct my tent. I briskly walked towards the council tent in the cold morning. The sun had only began to rise, its radiant rays barely touching the treetops. I hugged myself in an attempt to conserve heat as my necklace rubbed against my chest, the stone's coldness penetrating my shirt.

As I arrived at the tent, I realized that a majority of my friends were already there. Everyone was in a cheery mood as they chatted with each other. I searched the small crowd, but Marth was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for Prince Marth?" Rody asked as I almost unknowingly bumped into him.

"I am. Do you know where he is?"

"He's still busy with preparations. He'll be here soon." Rody said as he looked around with his arms crossed. We spent several minutes scanning the area for a sign of Marth's golden circlet, but came up with nothing.

"How are you feeling about this march?" I asked after I gave up looking for Marth.

"I'm feeling confident." He answered and stopped scanning the area, "I can tell you're pretty nervous about the whole thing."

"What isn't there to worry about? Especially since I'm officially in charge of strategy."

"Hah, you're going to have to be more confident than that." Rody smiled as he looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're going to need to be more confident if you want to be able to guide us to victory like… you know…" He stopped himself short of saying an exact name, fearing that I may react negatively.

"Yeah. You're right. Katarina wouldn't falter."

"It's a heavy responsibility that you've accepted. Will you be okay?"

"I will. I won't fail." I confidently said with a smile, acting on Rody's advice. He softly laughed as he noticed my sudden shift in confidence. Ahead of us, the crowd began to part as Marth was allowed to walk into the center. Everyone gathered around him as he made his announcement.

"Everyone here will spearhead the convoy as we make our way to Rucke's position. The trip should only take us a few hours, after which we will only have about half an hour to prepare and launch an attack before he can acquire too many reinforcements for us to handle. We'll be heading eastward from here. Let's get going." As Marth ended his sentence, the crowd dissolved as the riders ran to get their mounts. Before I could turn around, I felt a familiar nudge on my arm. I lifted my arm to rub her chin.

"Hey, Blazey." I whispered to her. She softly sighed and looked at me with her deep, brown eyes. I held onto her reins and walked to Marth.

"Ah, Glacia, I was meaning to talk to you." Marth paused as he looked around, "Since we won't have much time to prepare for battle, our scouts will only be able to provide basic information. I'm hoping the limited information won't impact your planning abilities."

"I'll make use of what I can." I said with a nod. The sound of multiple horses' hooves on the dirt caught our attention as the remainder of our group rejoined us. Jagen and his white horse galloped ahead and we followed him with the rest of the convoy behind us. The bulk of our troops remained at the back with several soldiers alongside the convoy. Several minutes into the march, I heard the screech of a dragon as the large beast flew over us. Its crimson red scales sparkled in the sun before it flew out of sight.

"Such a scary creature." Malicia said as she caught up to me, "I wonders if there are such things as friendly dragons."

"We may never know." I replied as I thought about the possibility.

"Anyway, you're like Prince Marth's personal knight, right?"

"I am. Why do you ask?"

"Well… there's something I want to know. About my dear prince… Prince Marth."

"Your dear prince?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"You see, men are such disgusting creatures, but Prince Marth is totally different. He reached out to me, gently, with his comforting eyes. He even promised to marry me, right in front of Granny!"

"Oh..? I find that difficult to believe."

"It's true! I can never forget that memory. I was being pursued by bandits and cried for help. Then, out of nowhere, Prince Marth came gallantly galloping to my rescue riding a white horse."

"My liege… doesn't ride a white horse." I said, glancing at Marth as he walked ahead of us.

"Ah, let's not fuss over the details. Oh right, where should we hold our wedding? Prince Marth might want it in Altea, but I want Granny to see me in a wedding dress… And then after the wedding…"

"I, um… I don't mean to interrupt such an important part, but Prince Marth recently got engaged…"

"Ah! Please stop, Prince Marth. I'm so embarrassed!" Malicia continued her fantasy, ignoring me. I continued the march in silence as Malicia walked beside me, fantasizing about various things. When she had finally finished her rambling, the sun had risen high above the horizon and a large fort started to come into view. A towering mountain sat beside the fort, casting its long shadow in our direction. Blazemane slightly increased her pace, allowing us to catch up with Marth and Jagen.

"Our scouts have already departed." Jagen informed me as I arrived beside him, "We'll need to move quickly if we want to stay undetected for long enough to eliminate General Rucke's soldiers."

"Right. I think I have some ideas that can win this battle and be stealthy about it, too." I said while lost in my thoughts.

"Indulge us when the time comes. For now, we need to set up camp quickly and discreetly." Jagen promptly ran into the woods after finishing his sentence and we followed a few paces behind. After weaving in and out of the trees, we arrived at an area that was relatively lightly forested. There were enough empty areas for tents to be erected. Soon, the entire convoy reached the area and several tents were set up, including the council tent. I dismounted and tied Blazemane's reins to a tree next to the council tent. I walked through its flaps and the table had been set up where it always was. My team entered the tent alongside the returning scout. He handed me a rolled up piece of parchment and quickly departed without a word. I unraveled it and pinned it down onto the table. I quickly looked over the frantic notes before writing in my own, taking note of the large amount of dracoknights present. General Rucke's fort sat on a mountainous piece of land that was surrounded by large rivers and a lake. Several bridges littered the area and trees were scarce. Forts were scattered around the rivers. Three villages were in close vicinity of the main fort, posing as a cause for concern. The presence of a ballistician worried me. As I drew out the battle plans, the only sound present in the tent was the sound of charcoal on parchment.

Fifteen minutes had passed before my eyes left the map. "Ready?" Marth asked. I nodded in response before turning towards the rest of the team.

"I split our group into two groups: one to launch the attack and one to remain here to protect the convoy. The bulk of our troops should remain in the nearby fort until we are ready to launch an all-out attack." I moved to the side of that table that was opposite of the crowd before reading off names. "Catria, Linde, Gordin, Warren, Luke, Rody, and Ryan. You'll follow us into battle today. Everyone else is to remain here and guard the convoy.

"Guard duty? I'm stuck with guard duty while the pipsqueak gets to go into battle?" Cecille protested, referring to Ryan.

"Dracoknights are common in these parts. We should get as many archers on board as we can." I retorted, "Besides, we need strong warriors to guard the convoy as well."

"I can't believe the child was chosen above me, but I don't suppose I'm in any position to protest." There was a strong hint of aggressiveness in her voice.

"Those of you who are to remain here, the rest of the plan doesn't affect your post. You are free to leave." Cecille left the tent almost instantly. Slowly, the rest of those assigned with guard duty followed suit. Before Jagen could step out, I stopped him with a soft hold on his shoulder. "Keep an eye on Cecille for me." I whispered once he turned towards me. He nodded in agreement before I let go of his shoulder. As he disappeared through the tent flaps, I shifted my focus back onto the battle plan. "Anyway, Catria, you'll be traveling with Marth and me. We'll be running from village to village to ensure their safety before we can launch an all-out attack. Once we get to the rightmost fort, we can give the signal to lower the drawbridge and attack Rucke's fort." I pointed to the fort that was in question before moving it to the drawbridge that led to Rucke's front door. "We'll have to take care not to attract the attention of the dracoknights that are positioned in the mountains. As for Linde, Luke, and Rody, you'll want to attract the dracoknights' attention." I pointed to the dracoknights that were situated above the lake. "From what I've read, dragons are very easy to aggravate. Therefore, Linde can use small bolts of magic to get the dragon's attention, but not its rider. Once the dragon decides to go investigate what's been bothering it, Luke and Rody will ride out of the forest and attack. Linde can attack with the help of her magic as well."

"Small bolts, huh? I'm used to casting large spells, but I'll give it my best shot." Linde said cheerfully.

"You can always depend on me to knock those riders off their saddles!" Luke said with a big smile.

"That is if you don't get knocked off first." Rody sarcastically joked.

"Moving on," I said after stifling a laugh, "Gordin, Ryan, and Warren, you're in charge of eliminating this ballistician from afar." I pointed to the large red marking on the opposing side of the drawbridge. "If General Rucke notices your attacks, he will most likely assume it's from resisting civilians, so there isn't much worry about us being detected. Just keep your allegiance markers hidden from them. After the ballista is out of the picture, focus on eliminating any dracoknights in your range and wait for the signal to open the drawbridge."

"M-more dracoknights?" Ryan stuttered, "They're so big and scary…"

"As long as I'm here, you have nothing to be scared of." Gordin confidently assured his younger brother, "If we work together, we'll be fine." Warren stood by silently, giving no attempts to join Gordin in comforting the terrified Ryan.

"Catria will fly over the lake and act as the signal. Be careful when fighting General Rucke. The scouts spotted him in heavy armor. If there are no questions, let's get moving." I said, concluding the battle briefing. Ryan raised his hand before he spoke.

"Are you sure you want me? I mean… I could stay behind instead…" Ryan shyly said, almost trying to hide himself.

"Of course. Is this about what Cecille said?" I asked. He slowly nodded. "Don't worry about her. I'll make it right with her after the battle." Ryan seemed to become less worried as a result of my response. "We're running out of time. Let's go." I rolled the map up and left it on the table before heading for the exit. I quickly walked over to Blazemane, untied her from the tree, and jumped onto her saddle. I followed Marth as he walked ahead of me, heading towards the nearest unoccupied fort. Soon, Catria joined us atop her pegasus. Our mounts greeted each other with soft nuzzles and sighs. As we neared the fort, there was already a long line of soldiers marching into its gates. I spotted Luke and Rody galloping to their positions with Linde slowly following behind them. Once we passed by the fort, we entered a vast plain with a deep blue lake in the distance. The sparse amount of trees was highlighted as small groups of trees were scattered in the sea of green grass. We turned to our left and spotted a small village.

"We should move quickly between sources of cover if we don't want to attract any attention." Catria advised as she observed our surroundings, "These trees can help, but not by much."

"Perhaps speed will be the key." Marth suggested, "Glacia, what do you think?"

"I think speeding across the grass will attract as much, if not more, attention than slowly making our way through it. Let's use the forest to the left to use. It's a longer route, but it's stealthier."

"That is true. My pegasus should be alright with more forest travel. Let's do it." Catria agreed and we changed our course, using the trees of the nearby forest as cover, despite the longer travel time. As we ran through the foliage, I could hear the angry roar of a dragon in the distance. Looks like Linde's already gotten to work, I thought to myself. Thick tree trunks often impeded our progress, but we quickly made our way to the village's gates. We were greeted by armored guards who were armed with sharp lances. One of the guards recognized Catria as she approached him.

"You there, are you not Dame Catria of the Whitewings?" The guard asked.

"I… Yes, I am." Catria hesitated, "What business do you have with me?"

"Oh thank goodness, so she was correct after all!" The other guard exclaimed in excitement, "Your sister, Palla, was just here. She's been trying to save Princess Minerva for the past few days with no avail. She shouldn't be too far from here."

"Palla… Do you know which direction she went?"

"If my memory serves me right, she should be over in that direction." The guard pointed in the direction of the mountainous fort, "I wish we could spare some equipment to aid you, but we're tight on supplies as it is. However, we did find this key a while back. Perhaps you can make better use of it than we can." He detached a small silver key from his belt and handed it over to Catria. "Don't worry about us. We have guards ready to fight for the village at any moment." The guard assured Marth, "We all appreciate you coming to our aid, Prince. Please, help our Princess."

"I will. I'll personally see her safely out of General Rucke's hands." Marth replied. The guard's face lit up with hope and waved us goodbye as we began our trek to the next village. We had no choice but to travel in the open. A path of packed dirt led up to the bridge that stretched across the wavy surface of the river. The sound of rushing water became clearer as we neared it. Soon, our mounts' hooves clopped on smooth stones. In an instant, a large arrow whizzed by my leg and planted itself vertically in the dirt beside me. Blazemane reared, startled by the sudden noise.

"The ballista's onto us! Prince Marth, climb on!" I shouted without a second thought. Marth climbed on as I had instructed and Blazemane broke into a sprint. Catria had taken to the skies and flew to the left of the bridge, gliding above the water. As we sprinted across the bridge, large arrows continued to rain on us, each one planting itself into the rocks. The ballista showed no signs of slowing down when we reached the other side of the bridge. I motioned for Catria to follow me before I made a mad dash for the nearby woods. There were barely enough trees to be able to hide a total of five fully grown horses. We dove into the thickest part of the woods before stopping. Catria shortly joined us as we waited for the ballista to cease firing at us. A good amount of ballistic arrows struck the trees around us before the assault was over. Blazemane was clearly afraid of being hit, but she kept her calm with the help of my gentle strokes of her mane. Catria's pegasus was equally terrified, but was kept under control by Catria's gentle hand.

We slowly stepped out of the woods a few seconds after the attack stopped. A quick observation of the environment revealed the fact that we were closer to the village than we had believed. The open gates were mere feet away from where we emerged from the forest. Marth jumped off of Blazemane's back and ran to the gatekeepers to warn them about the incoming battle. Catria and I hurriedly galloped to catch up with him. As I reached his side, a familiar axe warrior walked out of its gates. A headband held his dark brown hair upright and a large axe was resting on his shoulder. A pouch was tied to his large belt. This tunic was sleeveless with fur covering the border between the main body of the tunic and where the sleeves should have been. He almost instantly recognized Marth and walked over to us the moment he did.

"Long time no see, Prince." He said as he slowly walked up to Marth.

"Bord? You've come to Macedon as well?" Marth asked as Bord stopped to rest his axe on the soft ground.

"Yup. We Talysian mercenaries wanted to join you's army, so we came all the way here. Princess Caeda's our lady, and the guy who's gonna be her man is important to us too."

"I appreciate you coming to help. You can start by making sure this village is aware of-"

"Don't worry about it, I got 'em handled. Lil' ones and old ones are in a safe place an' guards are ready to fight."

"That's wonderful news." Marth said with a smile, "Bord, this is Glacia, my Royal Guard."

"Ah, nice meetin' ya!" Bord exclaimed, shaking my hand.

"A pleasure making your acquaintance as well." I said, hiding my slight confusion. I could've sworn this exact thing happened yesterday with Cord, I thought. "Catria, doing well, I hope?"

"Yeah, never been better." Catria replied.

"We should continue to the last village. We run the risk of General Rucke discovering our campsite every minute." I said, reminding everyone of the time limit.

"Right. Let's get moving." Marth agreed and we started heading towards another bridge. As we travelled, we kept an eye on the perched dragons to our east as they kept watch over the land from their mountain watchtower. Soon, we arrived at a small river with a bridge that led towards the dragons' perch. "There's another bridge after that bridge that will get us to the other side of this river." Marth stated as he observed the situation.

"We'd take the risk of attracting the dragons' attention, however." Catria noted.

"Eh, I could take 'em on." Bord confidently said as his axe left its resting place on his shoulder.

"It's probably not the best idea. We will most certainly be reported to General Rucke if we engage them now." I added, "Why don't we go through the river? It doesn't look too dangerous." I cautiously made my way to the side of the river. The water gently lapped the river bank as the gentle waves rolled on the river's surface. Blazemane tested the water with a hoof before slowly creeping towards the middle of the river. She stopped once all four of her legs were in the water.

"I can just fly over the water, but are you sure your horse can make it?" Catria asked as she stopped short of the river's edge. Marth and Bord shortly joined her on the edge of the water.

"I'm certain of it." I said, looking at Blazemane for confirmation.

"Either option has its risks… If you're truly sure, then I'll agree with your plan." Marth thought out loud, "I hope this won't end in disaster."

"I promise, my liege, it won't." I guaranteed, "Climb on." I extended my hand, grabbing Marth's tightly and pulling him up. Blazemane looked back as she felt Marth's weight on her back before returning her focus to the river. Feathered wings flapped overhead as Catria flew to the other side with Bord on board. Slowly, Blazemane stepped deeper into the river. Her descent stopped when the water level was around her knees. The river's waves gently nudged her as she walked across the river's stone-covered floor.

We had made it halfway across the river when the river suddenly began to get deeper, stopping when the water level was almost touching Blazemane's chest. Progress slowed as she fought to move through the water. Occasionally, I gave her neck a few gentle strokes to keep her morale high. By the time we had reached the other side, Blazemane was exhausted and dripping wet. I allowed Marth to dismount before dismounting myself to allow Blazemane to recover. I led her by the reins towards Catria's position.

"Let's continue." I said as I caught up with them, "The final village should lie across this bridge and that large plain." I pointed to the bridge and plain in question.

"Right, but what of ya horse? She looks mighty tired." Bord asked, looking at Blazemane.

"She just needs some time to rest. She'll be alright."

"Well, if ya say so. Let's get movin'!" Bord shouted and we continued our journey. I slightly lagged behind the group as I gave Blazemane enough time to rest her aching muscles. By the time we had crossed the bridge, I was able to match the speed of the rest of the group. Although Blazemane had recovered from her exhaustion, I gave her extra time to relax before I mounted her once again.

We soon approached a small house in the middle of the vast plain with a few scattered trees nearby. A small fort stood closely behind it. As we got closer, we noticed a shady figure had entered the house through a window. Almost immediately, Marth and I changed direction and headed towards the house with Bord and Catria lagging behind. A scream from inside the building confirmed our suspicions and we hurried to the door.

"Wait here for me." I said to Blazemane as I let go of her reins. She sighed in response and I quickly ran to Marth. The moment I arrived at the porch, the door flew open and a hooded man sprinted out of it. In an instant, I grabbed onto the thief's jacket, yanking him backwards. He fell onto his back and lost his grip on the sword in his hand. It momentarily flew into the air before digging itself into the soft dirt. My sword was already pointed at his neck by the time he had regained his composure. "I'll take care of him. Check on the homeowners." I told Marth. He nodded in agreement and quickly ran into the house.

"I-I was just admiring their home… from the inside, with my hands. I swear." The thief stumbled on his words as he made excuses, "I didn't mean any harm." I glared at him for a few seconds before slowly moving my sword away from him. He frantically got back on his feet before sprinting into the trees, instantly disappearing behind the thick trees. Bord and Catria gently led Blazemane to me as Marth reemerged from the doorway and quickly walked to me.

"Everyone's safe. What of the thief?" Marth asked, stopping in front of me.

"I did as you would have, milord." I said with a smile.

"Good." He said, gratefully, "Let's keep going, we're almost there and we don't want to be too late to launch an effective attack."

"Right." I agreed, pulling Blazemane's reins slightly closer to me. I pulled the dropped steel sword from the ground and put it into one of the sheaths on the saddle. I pat her head before climbing onto her saddle, "I reckon clearing out the fort between us and the village should be our first priority."

"Ah, you can always trust me to clear a room with one swing o' me ol' axe here." Bord commented, removing his axe from its resting spot.

"If I may…" Catria softly interjected, "I believe it will be best if we tackle both the fort and the village at once."

"I second that notion." I agreed, "We'll be able to go after General Rucke faster. Bord and Catria should clear the fort. Prince Marth and I will rush to the village."

"Right. We'll meet in the fort close to the river." Marth added.

"Hah! It's a plan then!" Bord exclaimed before running to the fort. Catria reluctantly followed after him. Marth motioned for me to follow him and quickly began to make his way to the village. I followed him closely, keeping an eye out for any scouts or ambush parties. The village was not far from the fort. The sounds of clashing metal as Bord and Catria fought through their ranks could still be heard as we neared the village gates. The gatekeepers almost instantly loosened their grips on their weapons as we approached them.

"Prince! We were expecting you." A guard gave a short bow as we stopped in front of him, "I wish I knew where Dame Palla had flown to, but I do not."

"If I was expected, are you aware of the incoming chaos of battle?" Marth asked, glancing at the bustling crowds past the open gates.

"We're just about ready."

"Wonderful. If you don't mind, we'd like to see to the preparations ourselves."

"Right this way." The guard gestured to the open gates as he moved out of our way. Blazemane's hooves clopped on the smooth stone pathway leading through the village gates. Inside, several guards were rushing from house to house, swiftly running out as soon as they confirmed that the building was secured. An unidentified person was also frantically running from home to home. A dusty brown shroud covered their head and shoulders, effectively masking their identity. The pouch at their hips and the sheathed knife were both telltale signs of a thief.

"You, stop right there!" I shouted at the thief with my blade drawn. They froze in their tracks and slowly turned towards me. The wind suddenly picked up, blowing through the village and removing the shroud's hood. His red hair flew along with the wind as he grasped at his shroud. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape route before stopping his gaze on Marth. His worried expression quickly changed to relief.

"Prince Marth! It's been a while, hasn't it?" He ran towards Marth as I lowered my weapon.

"Julian? I'd heard that you'd gone to Macedon with Lena, but to think we'd cross paths here." Marth paused midsentence as a scurrying guard almost hit him, "How is Lena? She is with you, right?" Julian hesitated for a moment.

"Well, that's the thing… Lena's suddenly vanished and I-I just don't know what to do."

"Wait, slow down." Marth interrupted his panicked friend with a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Tell me what happened."

Julian took a deep breath before responding, "Lena's been missing since last night. I've been hearing about some strange priest prowling around the village lately. I-I have all the reasons to believe he took her."

"I have a terrible feeling about this…" Marth's voice trailed off as he silently thought about the situation, "Anyhow, standing around won't do any good. Come with us. We'll help your search for Lena. I worry for her safety as well."

"I'd gladly follow you, once again." Julian said with a smile before walking to Blazemane's side, "You must be Prince Marth's Royal Guard. Name's Julian, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Glacia, pleasure meeting you as well," I said, shaking his extended hand, "How did you know I was a Royal Guard?"

"Just how you've been staring so intently at us. Either you're stricken with admiration or you're just waiting for me to slip up." Julian softly chuckled, "And I doubt it's the former." I couldn't resist the urge to crack a small smile at the comment. The chaos of scattered guard quieted down around us until there was barely any movement at all. Many guards stood guard in front of homes with their weapons firmly grasped in their hands.

"Looks like they've just finished up. We should get going before Bord and Catria get too far ahead of us." Marth suggested as he headed out of the village gates. I quickly followed after him with Julian close behind me. We made quick strides across the greenery as we headed towards the fort in the distance. It wasn't long before we could hear the sound of approaching feathers to our right. Catria landed her pegasus beside me and continued to walk with us. Bord quickly joined up with Julian and cheerily began to make conversation with him.

As we neared the fort, we learned that it was unoccupied. Before we could enter it, the haunting sound of flapping leathery wings began to grow louder. Upon looking up at the sky, we spotted three dracoknights quickly flying towards us.

"Looks like we got some company to deal with…" Julian said as he stopped near me to look at the approaching dragons.

"We'll have to fight them, there's no escaping their gaze." Catria stated before her pegasus began to take to the skies.

"Bord, stick with Julian. I'll keep close to Prince Marth." I commanded. They agreed without question and I repositioned myself at Marth's side. Catria soared through the sky at sonic speeds, attempting to direct the dragons' attention towards herself. The dragons began flapping their huge wings as powerfully as they could in an attempt to gain more speed to overtake the pegasus. Catria made a sharp turn and glided past them. Two dragons decided to turn around and chase after her. The third narrowed its focus on Marth as it folded its wings, diving straight into our position. Marth and I retreated to the protective wall of the nearby fort. The dragon slammed its legs into the ground, digging up the grass as it came to an eventual stop. It turned its long neck to face us as it released a deafening roar. Its head lowered and revealed its rider taking aim with his javelin. Before he could throw it, his mount roared in pain, causing him to lose his concentration. Bord had sunk his axe into the beast's back leg. Claws flashed as it tried to eliminate the source of its pain. As it was distracted, Julian launched himself onto the beast's side, using his knife as an anchor. A few more strong thrusts later, Julian had made it up to the dragon's saddle. The rider put up little resistance as he was knocked off and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

I sprinted into action as the dragon writhed in pain, attempting to fend Bord off as well as get Julian off of its back. I drew my blade and took aim as the dragon lowered its head. I ran underneath its lifting neck, running the tip of my blade across it. A grating screech was followed by a large thud, confirming the dragon had been slain. Julian jumped off of the dragon's back, landing next to Bord. Loud roars echoed from the sky before we were able to regroup. Catria was doing her best to dodge the incoming fireballs as she led the dragons on a fiery chase. We gazed upon the battle helplessly as our weapons could never reach them.

Catria's lance continuously clashed with those of the dracoknights, occasionally blocking the claws of their mounts from knocking her out of the sky. Her pegasus was losing strength and its flight path fluctuated as it was no longer able to keep a steady elevation. The dragons' attacks were relentless, preventing her from landing and getting assistance. She made a risky decision and dived in between the riders. She was several feet above the ground when a fireball hit her from behind. Her pegasus lost its balance, stumbling as its hooves reached the ground, and ultimately fell onto her side. Catria was not flung far from her mount as she laid a couple feet away from her saddle. Blazemane sprinted to them the moment the dust had settled, but a second fireball lit the grass around them and a dracoknight landed on top of the flames, blocking us from getting through. Blazemane neighed in protest of the inconvenience and the dragon responded with a fireball. It exploded in front of us, but we were relatively unaffected.

The dracoknight had disappeared once the flames dissipated. Both dracoknights had gathered around our fallen pegasus knight as she tried to stand. The wall of fire in between us had broadened, making it impossible to jump over without burning to a crisp. The dragons opened their maws, preparing to strike with their vicious fangs. They didn't get far before a white flash and a steel lance through their jaws stopped them. A white blur dashed from dragon to dragon, causing more and more slashes to appear on the dragons' hides. They growled in confusion and whipped their necks around in an attempt to open their mouths before they were swiftly felled with a slash to their necks. A pegasus elegantly landed near Catria and its rider quickly dismounted.

The rider's long, green hair flew as she kneeled beside a wounded Catria. A white breastplate and white pauldrons were worn over a green dress. The dress had long, dark-green sleeves that extended past her wrists and her dark green boots extended halfway up her thigh. Her lance was flung to the ground in her rush to Catria's side. After a short exchange of words, they had a short hug before slowly standing up. The blaze had finally died down as it burnt through all of the surrounding grass, allowing Blazemane to step on the crumbling ashes with ease. Catria was helping her pegasus get up when everyone else had caught up to me.

"Prince Marth!" She exclaimed as she ran up to us, "It's so wonderful seeing you all again. Unhurt, hopefully?"

"Yes. A little shaken up, but unhurt overall." Marth responded with a smile, "You're just as formidable on the battlefield as you were a few years ago, Palla."

"I need to keep myself prepared for anything, I suppose," Palla slightly blushed at the comment, "As far as I know, the battle is still on-going, is it not?"

"Indeed it is." Marth nodded, "However, we need to get your sister to safety first…"

"No, I'll be fine." Catria said as she joined us with her pegasus at her side, "I can still fight."

"I'm not letting you out on the battlefield with those burns and bruises!"

Catria winced as the wind irritated her injuries. "I don't just want to sit back and watch, Sister."

"You can't just risk your life like this. I won't allow it." Palla looked around before locking her gaze on the nearby fort, "Stay in that fort until its safe. There's no shame in avoiding unnecessary risks." Catria prepared to protest against her command, but stopped herself midway.

"You won't have it any other way, will you?" Catria said with a sigh before slowly walking her pegasus towards the fort. Palla watched her sister walk away for a moment before turning towards me.

"How rude of me to not introduce myself. I'm Palla, the eldest of the Whitewings." Palla took a short bow.

"I'm Glacia, Prince Marth's Royal Guard. Pleasure to meet you." I responded, ending my sentence with a short bow of my own.

"Now that we're properly acquainted, let's finish this battle." Palla stated as she jumped onto her pegasus's back, "That bridge over there will lead us right to their backdoor. I'm assuming a battle plan has already been established?" The loud crash of heavy lumber in the distance interrupted our conversation. The sound of shouting soldiers quickly followed.

"The battle's started. If we hurry, we can catch them unawares." I stated my observations.

"Right," Marth agreed, "Let's get moving." Bord, Julian, and Palla rushed ahead while I stayed by Marth's side. "They started without our signal. I wonder…" Marth murmured as we started to quickly walk to the bridge.

"Something bothering you, milord?" I asked as I slowed down Blazemane's pace to a pleasant walk.

"It's nothing to worry about." Marth replied as he shook the thought from his mind, "You should ride ahead. I'll join up with you soon."

"But, sire…"

"I'll be fine, trust me." He unsheathed his rapier and its steel blade shone brightly in the radiant sunlight, "That's an order." His gentle smile and tone contrasted with the serious impact of his statement. I was mildly shocked, but I didn't protest his command, whipping Blazemane into a powerful sprint. It wasn't long before the clanging of rocks against hooves filled the air around me. As I reached the end of the bridge, Julian and Bord were engaged in combat with several cavaliers while Palla was swooping down from the skies to occasionally knock a knight off their saddles. In the dark corners of the fortress, I noticed a cavalier was biding his time, watching from the shadows. Blazemane became agitated by their presence and ran towards them without my input. Instead of adjusting her trajectory, I let her take the wheel and unsheathed my blade, preparing for a clash.

The cavalier took a few steps back as if in hesitation before walking out of the shadows. I caught a glimpse of his short, red-orange hair as he entered the sunlight with his lance in his hands. Our weapons clashed and splinters of wood were shaved from his lance's shaft. Our mounts walked in circles as our weapons continuously clashed with neither side gaining the upper hand. I decided to change my strategy and took Blazemane out of the circle she created with the opposing horse. The cavalier followed close behind me as I rode back to the bridge. Thundering hooves quickly neared me and I barely caught his lance coming down near my neck as I turned to meet him. My blade caught the steel tip, but it was dangerously close to me. As he began to get the upper hand, he was hit by a strong force from behind, causing his lance to slip away from my sword. Blazemane jumped out of his range before turning towards him once again.

Julian was standing close to the cavalier, but there does not seem to be any attempt to engage in battle. Instead, I heard Julian's voice as I walked closer.

"Would you cut it out?" Julian said, almost shouting, "Why must you always insist on pointing your lance at us? I pity Lena for having to put up your stupidity." The cavalier was rubbing the back of his head as if he had been hit by a blunt force.

"Oh, Julian. It's you." The cavalier seemed almost disappointed, "Still trying to worm your way into Lena's good side? No way. I won't hand my cute lil' sister to a thieving rat like you."

"Relax, Lena and I would never work out. I just wanted to help her out in any way I could."

"So you finally realized where you stand!" The cavalier's face suddenly lit up.

"That's, uh, not the kind of thing I'd want to hear from you." Julian stopped to glance over at me, "Well, whatever. If you're worried about Lena, then come with us."

"Come with you?" He hesitated as he looked towards the fort he was meant to protect, "Sure, I-I suppose. You know how much I hate fighting, but they forced me out here."

"Right, makes sense." Julian motioned for me to come closer, "For now, you'll be under Glacia's command."

"Name's Matthis. I apologize for my behavior earlier." He turned towards me as I stopped beside Julian.

"It's quite alright. There's no need to apologize." I said before shifting my attention to the battle unfolding several feet away from us, "Let's save introductions for after the battle. Fight alongside us."

"Of course." Matthis nodded before taking off with Julian quickly following after him. Instead of approaching the battle, I decided to take a detour around the fortress, using the shadows to hide my position. As I rounded the final corner, I immediately noticed Linde was engaged in battle with a heavily armored general. His enormous shield deflected many of Linde's attacks, rendering them useless. His lance was slowly edging closer to her as the general continued his attack. I sprinted towards the general to land a surprise attack, but a cavalier suddenly appeared in front of me, knocking me off course. With a few swift slashes, I took out the cavalier and continued to charge at the general.

As I got close, I noticed a strange white circle at the general's feet. Linde's tome was open and she had a piercing gaze as she focused on her magic. In the blink of an eye, a bright pillar of light erupted from the circle, completely bathing the general in the blinding light. Once the light had dissipated, the general fell onto his knees, weakly using his lance and shield to support himself.

"The Altean knights... Just as I expected..." The general muttered moments before another pillar of light surrounded him and he collapsed onto the ground. A strange orb rolled out from one of the general's sacks. I stopped and dismounted to get a better look.

The orb had a strange aura as I picked it up. Inside the mostly clear orb, a constellation was engraved in the opaque center. It barely filled half of my palm as I held it. I put it into one of the sacks on Blazemane's saddle and jumped onto her back again. Just as I had gotten comfortable in the saddle, Linde had run over to me with an expression of relief.

"Glacia! Thank goodness, I feared for the worst." She stopped at Blazemane's side, placing a hand on Blazemane's shoulder.

"Was that General Rucke?" I asked, referring to the fallen general.

"It was, indeed." She said with a smile, "The rest of the rebels have fled after hearing word of their leader's demise."

"Thank goodness."

"Is Prince Marth not with you?" Linde asked with a hint of panic as she looked around. Before I could answer her question, Marth appeared at the fortress gates with Jagen beside him and the rest of our army behind him. Linde and I left the conversation as we went to join the group. After I dismounted and stood beside Marth, a small group of soldiers emerged from the fortress.

"The fortress is clear, sire, but there is no sign of Princess Minerva." One of the soldiers reported.

"Strange… she was supposed to be held inside…" Marth thought out loud. Loud shuffling came from behind me as General Lang approached us. He gave a hearty laugh as he surveyed the surroundings.

"I knew this task was unworthy." A grin crept across his face, "Excellent work. We'll take care of Macedon from here. Now, for your next mission…"

"Another task? What is it this time?" Marth asked with a sigh.

"Well, you see, Prince, my castle was attacked and the Grustian children were kidnapped and the kidnapper seems to have fled to Macedon." Lang's gaze momentarily shifted towards me before snapping back to Marth, "Prince Marth, you are to capture him and return the children to me."

"What? You're asking me to send them to their doom!"

"You're in no position to defy me. You'd do wise to continue slaving for my benefit, Prince Marth."

"That's enough! Your rudeness towards my liege has gone too far!" I shouted, releasing much of my anger, "Shut up! Prince Marth is not your… your slave!" Blazemane took a few steps back, shocked by my sudden outburst.

"You." Lang stared straight into my eyes with his piercing gaze, "Know your place, Altean soldier, or I'll gladly show you!" His smug grin sparked anger inside me as I slowly reached for my sword, stopping myself short of grabbing its handle as I considered the consequences. "It seems that your countrymen are devoid of manners." He said, turning back towards Marth.

"I apologize on Glacia's behalf, but it is as she says. General Lang, I will no longer follow your orders from here."

"So you mean to defy my orders? Just as I suspected, it truly was your doing. It was the mercenary Ogma that kidnapped them and on your orders, so less!" Lang's tone was not that of anger, but of confirmation, as if he had expected this outcome. I turned to Jagen who was still standing by with an emotionless expression.

"I didn't know of this, but if I had the choice, I would have done just as you suggested. I should have helped those children." Marth stated, standing unfazed by Lang's stare.

"You clearly speak words of treason! Perhaps I should report this to the Emperor."

"Do as you will. You won't be the only person who intends to visit the palace. I will inform Emperor Hardin and Princess Nyna of your crimes." Marth paused to turn towards Jagen, "Forgive me, Jagen, but I cannot stand for this any longer."

"I understand." Jagen said, breaking his long silence, "You have endured well until now. My liege may forgive your frequent rudeness to him, but I will not." With a silver sword in hand, Jagen stepped in between Marth and Lang. "Draw your sword. Even though I, Jagen, am old and senile, I will not lose to the likes of you."

"Gah, damn you." Lang took several steps back, "You'll get your punishment in due time." He threw a quick glance at me before leaving us, pushing his way through the gathered crowd until he was out of sight. We stood in silence as we took the time to understand what had just taken place.

"My liege, what should be our next course of action?" I asked, disrupting the peace.

"Well, according to Lang, Ogma is on his way to Macedon. He probably intends to visit the village where Lord Wendell resides." Marth slowly responded.

"How can you be so sure?"

"It happens that he raised the Grustian children, so I'm sure it would be the perfect time for Ogma to pay him a visit."

"We will make preparations for departure later tonight." Jagen said as he stared in the direction that General Lang had stormed off in, "But, I worry about Lang. I pray that nothing bad shall happen."

"Likewise." I responded, "Let's focus on getting everyone back to camp for now." Jagen nodded in agreement and mounted his horse to lead the army. Slowly, the group followed him until only a few of us remained. The sound of soft feathers and landing hooves moved through the still air as Catria landed next to me.

"Catria! How are you faring?" I asked as I noticed the new bandages around her shoulders.

"Just as well as one would expect after a dragon attack." She paused and unhooked a shiny lance from her saddle, "I found this in the fort. I thought you might be able to put it to better use than I can." I caught its metal shaft as she tossed it to me. Leather bands was wrapped around the middle and end of the lance, acting as grips. "I'll see you back at camp. I need to get these burns taken care of." Her pegasus gently flapped its wings before jumping into the air and soaring over the river. I attached the silver lance to my saddle and began my trip back to camp as well.

I was halfway across the drawbridge when a set of hooves approached me from behind.

"Miss Glacia, I believe our introductions were cut short." Matthis said as his horse trotted alongside mine. His light-blue armor glimmered along with the river. "As you may already know, I-"

"Matthis, there's really no need for the formalities. And please, just call me Glacia."

"I, uh, my mistake." He stumbled, taking a moment to regain his composure, "I'm just really worried about my lil' sister."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to aid in your search."

"Do you have any siblings?" Matthis asked, taking me by surprise.

"No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"I just thought that maybe you could relate and that's why you're so willing to help."

"I'm just doing my part, helping those in need." I replied as our mounts' hooves left the wooden drawbridge and met the hard dirt.

"Good to know there's still some good people out here." He said with a smile.

"If you're ever overwhelmed with worry, you're always welcome to talk to me."

"Truly? It's such an honor to be able to consult one of such high stature as yourself."

"High stature?" I clarified with a small chuckle, "I'm no higher than yourself."

"But, that banner. Are you not Marth's Royal Guard?" He asked, referring to the banner draped over Blazemane's thighs.

"I am, but I don't place myself above anyone in the Altean army." I replied as I thought about the responsibilities that came with the post, "I fight for Prince Marth, just like everyone else."

"I don't mean to doubt you, but perhaps there's more to your position than that."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't just fight for him, you fight with him. You're his personal knight, the one he knows he can depend on." He turned to look me in the eyes, "It's true, isn't it?" I was taken aback by his reply, but I did my best not to show it.

"It is, but that doesn't change the fact that we have a common goal." We stopped right at the edge of camp, "The offer still stands." I said with a smile.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to take you up on it." Matthis quickly left me, entering the campsite and disappearing into the sea of tents. I reached down, removed the strange orb from its container, and slipped it into a pocket in my pants. I dismounted and walked Blazemane through the tents. It seemed that the camp was properly established during my absence. Occasionally, a strange soldier would walk past me, donning black armor. Halfway through the camp, I found unfamiliar tents that seemed to distance themselves from those that were familiar. This must be the start of General Lang's camp, I thought as I stopped at the border. Without a second thought, I walked away from the connecting pathway and towards the temporary stables.

Just as I had finished dropping Blazemane off, I noticed Cecille wandering to the outskirts of the camp. I followed her with a swift pace while dodging the occasional soldier. After walking through a short stretch of grassland, she stopped at a small pond and sat down on a rock beside the water. I sat beside her, joining her in silence. We spent several minutes transfixed on the water's reflective surface as it gently rolled with the breeze.

"I just wanted to ap-" I started.

"Don't. I should be the one apologizing." She looked up from the water and watched the scattered clouds in the sky, "I suppose my emotions got the best of me. I said things I shouldn't have. So, I'm sorry, Commander." Her sudden use of my old title surprised me as my focus instantly shifted from the water to her face. The bright sunlight illuminated a dark bruise.

"Don't worry about it," I responded with a small grin, "Did something happen while we were away?"

"I… don't want to talk about it." She gently felt the side of her face in a weak attempt to cover it up, "I stood up for my commander, that's all that matters."

"I knew you were right for the job." I said with a soft laugh. Cecille smiled silently in response.

"I really am sorry. I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship."

"No, I understand your reasons." I replied as I shifted my gaze to the clouds as well, "Sometimes the battle calls out to you."

"Yeah…" Her voice trailed off, "You're not angry at me, are you?"

"Not at all."

"I'm glad." We spent the rest of the time in silence until it was broken by a soldier inquiring Cecille to follow him. "I'll see you around… Glacia." She said before following the soldier back into camp. I spent a few more minutes on my own before leaving for my tent. Once inside, I removed my armor and my sword's sheath, leaving them by my desk. I took out the strange orb along with my necklace and put them together in the small, black bag. For the remainder of the day, I spent time exploring the wildlife around camp, occasionally taking a break for a quick meal. As the sun began to set, I returned to my tent. Before I could enter, Jagen called out to me and led me into Marth's tent. Several large pieces of parchment and paper were spread on a table. Marth was standing over them, reading through the texts carefully.

"We've been searching for the assassins that besieged Altea a year ago." Jagen rifled through the papers until he found a map, "We've just received information that may lead us to them. A suspicious group is heading towards Macedon's northern mountains."

"There have been rumors they're pursuing our former allies." Marth stated, worriedly, "We cannot ignore this lead, especially because lives are at stake."

"We have not informed the general army about this yet, but they shouldn't be. We will take some of our best soldiers with us and march to the mountains before sunrise tomorrow morning. The rest will remain here."

"Should I get to planning?" I asked as my eyes scanned the map.

"It's unfortunately not possible. We do not have eyes in the area to confirm their positions, if they are there at all." Jagen rolled up the map and tied it with a string, "You should especially get some rest. Your direction will be integral to our victory tomorrow. I will be remaining here to ensure the safety of the camp."

"Of course." I said. I read some of the documents before I excused myself from the impromptu meeting and returned to the safety of my tent. I sat at my desk and thought about what had happened during that day. My mind filled with determination as I thought about finding Katarina once again. I'll save her, I thought, I just know I can.

My peaceful journey through my memories was interrupted when one of General Lang's soldiers opened my tent's opening. "Come with me. Our general would like a word." The soldier stated in a gruff voice.

"What about?" I asked. He shrugged in response.

"He'd just like to speak with you." He motioned for me to follow him. As I stood up, I glanced at the sword that was resting against the desk. I thought about taking it with me, but decided against it as it may look like a sign of aggression and it wasn't worth the risk. I left the lantern lit as I left the tent, closely following the soldier. The atmosphere immediately changed as I left the Altean half of the camp and entered Lang's half. Dim lanterns were left outside the tents, casting an ominous shadow on the ground. It wasn't long before we reached a large tent. The size was twice the size of a small cabin and had just about the same height. The soldier pushed the tent flaps aside and the bright light spilled out into the darkening night. As soon as I entered, the soldier closed the opening behind me, leaving me on my own. General Lang emerged from a side room with more casual clothes on. This armor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a silky black and gold robe that covered his dark red shirt and black pants.

"So, you've decided to come." He stated, somewhat smugly. He gestured to the chair near me as he took a seat at the desk in the middle of the room, "Take a seat."

"Thank you, but I prefer to stand."

"That's an order." He commanded, his deep voice resonated through my body. Not wanting to irritate him further, I did as he ordered. "Now, let's get to business." His eyes were fixed onto mine as he spoke, "We had a little altercation on the battlefield today. A _traitorous_ altercation. But, I'm willing to forget the whole thing even happened."

"Gener-"

"But!" He interrupted, "You have to give me something in return, hm?" A crooked grin crawled across his face.

"A deal?"

"Yes!" He shouted, punctuating the exclamation with a loud laugh, "A deal. I won't report this… unfortunate event and we can go about as if it never happened. All I'm asking for is to… spend some time with you." His grin never left his face as he laid out the deal.

"As if it never happened?" I thought out loud, "So you'd still force my liege to slave for you?"

"Of course." His response sparked anger inside me, "It's a simple favor… unless you want your precious prince labelled a traitor."

"No, of-"

"So, what do you say? Is it a deal?"

"You'll still force your commands upon my liege if I accept." I stared back into his dark brown eyes, "No, I refuse your offer." In response, Lang stood up from his desk, his face was oddly calm.

"So you'd rather that your Prince Marth be marked as a traitor, is that it?"

"I'd prefer it over what you're suggesting." As I replied to his question, he slowly stepped towards me.

"What a shame. And here I thought you'd do anything to protect him." He planted his hands on the far ends of the chair's arms and his body hovered over me, "Or do you have something against me?" I edged deeper into the chair to avoid him, but he edged closer in response. He raised a hand and ran his fingers under my chin. My body froze up as they made contact. I lifted a hand and attempted to push him away, but he held it down with his other hand. I was about to use my other hand when his hand suddenly went from a gentle touch to a powerful grip as he held onto my neck, pushing me onto the chair. "You'll quickly learn this, child. I always get my way." My hands wrapped around his wrist, but despite my efforts, his grip didn't loosen. "Listen closely. I'm making an early exit soon. You're to come with me. And don't worry about your little prince. He won't even notice you're gone." As the last word left his lips, I was reminded of what Matthis had told me earlier that day. As I struggled against Lang's strength, I realized how close I truly was to Marth. He would notice, I thought, he'd notice in an instant. "Now is that clear?" Lang asked as his face hovered inches away from mine. I weakly nodded and he released his grip and backed away. He watched me for a moment before he turned to get something from his desk drawer. I took the opportunity to slowly get up from the chair. He fumbled around for a while before he found what he was looking for. He instantly dropped it back into the drawer when he spotted me a few steps from the tent's opening. He quickly stepped away and ran to me as I tried to bust through the flaps. They had been tied together from the outside so they wouldn't move. Just as Lang got near me, I managed to slide underneath the leather flaps and run out into the campsite. I could faintly hear his thunderous footsteps behind me, but I kept running. As I ran, I focused not on my fear, but on how Marth needed me by his side. I was chosen for a reason, I thought as I ran by the many identical tents.

I had almost reached my tent when I stopped to catch my breath. The footsteps were no longer behind me. The only sound I could hear was the quiet chirping of crickets and my racing heart. I quickly went into my tent and emerged with my sword by my side, taking a seat on a nearby pile of crates. As the night went on, my heart did not stop racing and my hand never left my sword's handle. I sat in waiting for General Lang to suddenly appear at my doorstep. An hour had passed before Jagen emerged from his tent.

"Glacia, you're not sleeping. Is something the matter?" He asked as he took a seat next to me. I took a moment to calm my heart. "Was it that soldier that came to you?" I shook my head. My hand gently held my sword's pommel.

"It was a nightmare." I said, staring at the dusty ground, "Just a nightmare."


	14. Chapter 11x

Chapter 11x – Old Friends

The lantern flickered as the fuel ran low; its dimming light still illuminating the open books in front of me. "Mastering the pincer attack…" I murmured to myself, "I should work on these…" Before I could flip to the next page, the room was filled with a bright light from a newly lit torch. The flames illuminated the purple tome I kept next to me at all times.

"Katarina, are you coming or not?" Kleine's stern voice echoed through the room.

"I am." I replied, frantically gathering a few books into my book bag along with my special tome and rushing out of the door into the torch-lit hallway.

"What a shame. You've become less responsive to your true name lately." She said, almost mockingly.

"No, I… I was just occupied."

"Right." Kleine rolled her eyes at my excuse, "Anyway, our scouts have surrounded our target in these mountains. It's an easy kill." I remained silent as we walked through the increasingly brightening hallway. "Eine, don't tell me you still care about these people."

"I don't." I replied, swatting away memories.

"Good. I don't need you getting in the way." She pushed a heavy door open, revealing a green grassland, brightly illuminated by the sun's rays. Kleine's long, blonde hair flew as the wind passed through. The bright outdoors contrasted with her outfit. Her shirt was a deep black with a magenta trim and a tall collar. Her tall boots and long fingerless gloves matched her shirt and a short, lavender skirt stood out among the dark colors. A small leather breastplate and an ornate pauldron made up her armor. A sheathed knife hung from her waist, but she hardly uses it. Her weapon of choice was slung over her shoulder, its quiver fully loaded with arrows. A table had been set up in the sun with several armored knights standing around it. They only took their eyes off of the map that was spread on the table to notice us as we approached them.

"The old man should be here soon." One of the knights pointed at our location on the map that housed my many scribbles from last night's battle meeting, "What's our next action?"

"To attack of course!" Kleine's voice shattered the still atmosphere, "Get moving." The knights immediately began to leave without question, unwilling to risk aggravating Kleine further. The sound of their clattering armor loudly resonated through the air as they disappeared from view. Kleine motioned for me to follow her and I silently complied. We walked through the green grass until we reached a small forest and continued through it until we had reached its edge. An empty fort stood several meters away in between two nearby mountains. A small figure appeared in the distance and gradually became more prominent as they neared out position. Kleine took out an arrow and prepared her bow. The click the arrow made as it hit the side of the bow made me slightly flinch as I pulled out my tome.

"Alright, he's right where we want him." She slowly edged forward, "Now to savor his pain as we slowly draw the life from his tormented soul..." Before she could pull back on the bowstring, distant sounds of hooves and clashing swords could be heard.

"The Altean army has arrived." I stated as I blankly stared at the horizon.

"Tsk! What a nuisance." She complained, relaxing her grip on her bow, "I hate to admit this, but you were right. 'Alteans never abandon their comrades.' You sure learned a lot about that trash when you were with them." I made no attempt to respond to her comment, staring at the royal purple cover of my tome instead. "My job is to kill, one by one, everyone who sided with Marth in the previous war. If his allies live, they'll eventually join him and that would be dangerous. I can't afford to fail."

"Are you truly up to the task?"

"Of course. It offends me that you think I wouldn't be strong enough to defeat them."

"Kleine, you'll die if you underestimate Glacia and the others." I advised, "I served as her tactician, but I wasn't much help as one. I didn't give the advice a tactician should give. Even without me, they're a powerful force. Their synergy was like nothing I have ever experienced before…"

"So you _have_ become attached." She disappointedly stated, "No matter. Just sit here and watch. Watch hard and well as I kill your beloved companions." Her arrow met with her bow once again as she raised them. Her breathing steadied as she aimed down the arrow's metallic shaft. The lone figure reached the fort and stood near its sturdy walls. The sun's rays bounced off of his bald head as I recognized him as the kind priest Wrys. I stood motionless and emotionless, caught between two loyalties. I had no time to contemplate my next move as the sound of hooves thundered towards our position. Two horse-shaped figures appeared from the horizon with four smaller figures following behind them. The approaching figures stopped near the fort as they reunited with Wrys. I was unfamiliar with a majority of the Alteans, but my heart skipped a beat as my eyes stopped on Glacia's face. My mind began to fill with doubtful thoughts with each passing second. "There's too many of them here now. What a shame you're still love-struck by them." Her words sliced through the air as she hissed at me. I remained silent, unable to conjure a fitting response.

After a quick conversation, the group of Altean knights dissipated in different directions, leaving Glacia at the fort on her own. She constantly scanned the area around her as if she was expecting a surprise attack from someone. "Perhaps she knows we're here…" I muttered as I opened my tome, searching for a spell that could disguise my identity. My heart ached at the thought of Glacia purposefully attacking me.

"Psh! Impossible. Just give her some time." Kleine crept closer as Glacia came closer. Wrys had already been escorted away by a soldier, I thought, why would she stay here at the fort if she hadn't seen us? I crept closer to Kleine with the intent of pulling her back into the shadows, but stopped myself when I heard Glacia's voice.

"What do you think Blazey?" She asked her horse, bending over to stroke its chin, "I don't… What should I do?" Her eyes scanned the forest once again, but her focus seemed to be elsewhere. Her face looked more stressed than I had remembered it, maintaining a furrowed brow as she cast an empty gaze at the grass beneath her.

"Heh, watch closely Eine." Kleine cracked a sinister grin, "You might learn a thing or two." She lowered her bow and picked up a small rock from the forest floor. With a strong throw, the rock grazed Blazemane's shoulder. The startled animal reared slightly and let out a loud neigh. Before Glacia could reach down and calm her mount, a loud twang of a bow rang out followed by a grunt and a dull thud. Upon realizing the sudden loss of her rider, Blazemane wasted no time and charged towards us in an attempt to scare away the threat. Kleine had already moved out of the way by the time I turned towards her previous position.

I didn't have enough time to move in time and faced Blazemane's powerful front legs as it reared once again. Her hooves slammed into the ground near me and I fell backwards, landing on a small bush. Her deep brown eyes gazed into mine as she lowered her head. She seemed to have recognized me as she stomped her hoof a few times before sprinting back to Glacia. I quickly composed myself and got off of the ground. Glacia was on the ground, sitting against the fortress's wall with Kleine's arrow protruding from the side of her chest. Kleine was slinking closer with her bow drawn and Glacia was clearly breathing hard. My legs wanted to jump to her aid, but my hands clamped my tome shut. Blazemane stood by Glacia's side, unable to assist her outside of gently nudging her shoulder. Glacia's eyes were still scanning her surroundings and her hand rested on her sword's handle.

I spotted Kleine standing in plain sight with her bow prepared to deliver the killing blow. Glacia was in no condition to counterattack and my heart screamed for me to take action. I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch any more, and I heard the sound of released bowstrings. "Gah! How..?" I heard Kleine say before I heard more arrows fly through the air and a loud rustling of leaves. I opened my eyes to see a strange, blonde-haired man kneeled next to Glacia. He also had a bow slung over his shoulder. A broken wooden arrow laid on the grass and one of Kleine's metal arrows had embedded itself an inch away from Glacia's head. Kleine suddenly appeared next to me. "You have magic. Use it. Let's claim their foolish lives."

I hesitated and the archer used that opportunity to fire several volleys of arrows at our position. I followed Kleine as she pulled me out of his range. The loud sound of rustling leaves grew louder as a large shadow approached us. Kleine fired off an arrow before her shoulder was slashed by an incoming lance. The cavalier turned to charge at us once again and Kleine readied her bow in response. The cavalier didn't get far before getting hit in the stomach with an arrow, causing him to fall off his horse when it charged into a tree. The impact left him dazed and confused as he attempted to get off the ground. Ready for a kill, Kleine took her time walking towards the knight. Her attempt ended in failure once again as another cavalier burst through the forest. Another large slash appeared on Kleine's shoulder as she staggered backward. "K-Kleine. We have to retreat!" I said in a panicked tone as I clutched my tome close to my chest.

"Tsk! To think I'd run from the likes of you…" Kleine muttered before swiftly running through the trees and out of sight, leaving me behind. I kept quiet as I snuck around the trees. "Oh, Glacia. Thank goodness." A male voice said as I snuck out of earshot.

She's just as strong as she used to be if not stronger, I thought as I wandered through the tranquil forest. I used the blessing of a quiet walk back to think about my feelings. Kleine was right in saying that I still cared about them, I thought, but how could I not? I could hear the leaves crunching underneath my feet as I walked. With each crunch, another suppressed memory emerged in my mind before I blocked it out of my mind again. I knew that I must not have these thoughts in my mind, but I was powerless to stop them.

Once I arrived at the large fortress, I found Kleine waiting for me in the large doorway. Without a word, she shut the door behind me as I walked past her. She joined me as I walked through the dim hallway. "So the Alteans are stronger than I expected. Oh well, we can always snuff them out later. I'll let them live for now." Her arms were crossed and she was visibly upset about failing her mission.

"I warned you beforehand. The Altean army is strong…"

"Gosh, Eine, whose side are you supposed to be on?" We stopped walking and Kleine gave me an accusing look, "Don't tell me you're thinking of betraying Lady Eremiah." Her accusation took me by surprise.

"Wh-What? No… That thought would never cross my mind…" I stuttered as I struggled to defend myself.

"You're still hanging onto those worthless emotions towards them." She said, "Are you truly still with us or have they convinced you otherwise?"

"It won't happen again, I promise. I'll always be loyal to Lady Eremiah."

"Then you know what to do next time." Kleine said before promptly leaving me on my own. I stood motionless for a moment before retreating into my room. I set my books down onto my desk and took a seat in the comforting dark. As the memories returned to me, tears flowed down my face. After a few long minutes of reminiscing on the past, I stood up and slammed my hands onto the wooden desk. "I… I owe Lady Eremiah so much." I shook my head. "No… For her sake, I know what I have to do. I must kill Glacia. And Prince Marth will follow."


	15. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Hope and Despair

"Are you certain you're well?" Jagen asked me as he rode next me. In the limited time we had back at camp to rest, I had told Jagen what had transpired between me and General Lang in an exhausted haze. I vaguely remember what was said, but I remember being unable to stop the words from spilling out of my mouth.

"I'm certain." I replied with my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Although my tone was firm, he saw through my façade.

"If only I had known sooner…" Jagen muttered as his brow furrowed and ground his teeth, "That dirty dog… I should have struck him down when I had the chance."

"Jagen, please…" My voice weakened as I revealed my true emotions, "It was all my fault, in the end."

"Nonsense. Without a doubt, not a second of what he did was caused by your actions."

"If I didn't speak out…"

"Then I would have." Jagen stopped my sentence short, "Cast your blame elsewhere. It's not right to run yourself into the dirt like this."

"I don't know if I know how to…" My voice trailed off as I returned to last night's memories. Jagen slowed his horse's gait and pulled on Blazemane's reins to get her to do the same. I opened my mouth to question him, but was interrupted when his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Stay strong. He is but one man against all of us." He let go of me and returned his hands to his reins, "Lang will be brought to justice. Mark my words." His gentle grin gave off a warm aura and I returned the gesture with a small grin of my own. As I watched him speed up and join Luke at the front of the caravan, a feeling of hope began to grow within me. I looked behind me and spotted Marth riding on one of the wagons as he spent time chatting with Julian. Their laughter eased my anxiety as I thought about Jagen's words. I felt like there was some truth to them. I lost my train of thought when Palla's pegasus galloped to my side. It nuzzled its muzzle against Blazemane's neck as it neared us.

"Glacia, are you doing alright? Jagen was acting… odd with you just now." Palla asked while she ran her fingers through her pegasus's mane. I took a breath before I responded.

"I'm doing well." I calmly stated with a smile.

"I'm glad you're well, but that's not something Jagen would normally do. Are you sure there's nothing else that's been affecting you?"

"I'm certain."

"You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else." She looked into my eyes as she spoke.

"I swear, there isn't anything of concern." I said with a small laugh.

"Hm, alright." She sounded defeated, yet determined, "I'll get to the bottom of this. Mark my words." Her pegasus slowed its pace before launching itself into the skies with a few strong beats of its white wings.

"I'm sure you will." I whispered to myself as I watched her soar in the clear sky. A part of me worried that she would spread rumors if she found out, but another part of me was sure that she would keep her word and keep it a secret. I watched Jagen as my mind wandered and my focus shifted from one thought to another. Several hours passed by before the first glimpses of the glittering ocean peeked over the horizon. The occasional breeze brought cool air to our caravan, refreshing our exhausted soldiers. The caravan ultimately stopped by the short cliffside overlooking the ocean and the camp was quickly erected. As preparations came to a close, Jagen approached me on foot with his steed following close behind him.

"There is still plenty of time between now and the upcoming battle." He paused to motion towards my tent, "You should rest while you can. I will come to retrieve you once the scouts have returned."

"I will. Thank you." I accepted as I dismounted and handed Blazemane's reins to him, "If you don't mind me asking, Jagen, why have you suddenly become so kind to me?"

"You're a fellow Altean and Royal Guard." He replied with a grin, "It's in my best interest to ensure your safety as well as Prince Marth's."

"That's true." I said, quietly, "I'm sorry for asking such an unnecessary question."

"No, it's quite alright." He started to lead the horses away, but paused to turn towards me, "Don't worry about it too much. I'd be accused of treason before I'd stoop to such a disgusting level." I nodded in response, hiding my confusion. He continued leading the horses away and I lead myself to my tent. As soon as I had removed my armor, I threw myself onto the bed and closed my eyes for the first time since the incident. I instantly fell into a dreamless sleep. As my mind wandered in the black abyss, I could faintly hear the sound of voices. They were too faint to make out who the voices belonged to, but I was able to make out a few words.

"Sorry," the strange voice murmured, "she… make… too deep." Before I could contemplate the meaning of the words, I was gently jostled awake by a rough hand on my arm.

"Glacia, the scouts have just returned." Jagen's rough voice resonated throughout the tent, "Get your gear and meet me at the usual place. I'll gather everyone." The tent flap rustled as he left. Slowly, I got out of bed and equipped my armor once again. My necklace swayed from side to side as I secured the belts. I slid my sword into its place and walked to the war council. During my short walk, I felt slightly more energetic than before, having been rejuvenated by my nap. As I left the warm sun for the cool interior of the tent, I saw that the scout's findings had already been spread out on the table. Jagen and Marth stood at the table's edge. Marth seemed absorbed in the map as he scanned the parchment several times with his chin held in his hand. Jagen was the first to notice my entrance. "Ah, Glacia, you're here." Jagen's comment caused Marth to look up from the map.

"Good afternoon, Glacia," Marth said with a warm smile, "I was just looking over the situation on the battlefield today." His focus returned to the map, "What do you think we can do with what we have?" I stood by his side and observed the map as well.

"I think I have some ideas." I said after a few minutes of scanning. I picked up a charcoal stick and began making marks and notes in and around the map. As my mind went from one side of the map to the other, I heard the sound of shuffling feet as my friends gathered in the tent. Soon, only the sound of my racing charcoal against the rough parchment was audible. I felt their gazes as I left my last mark on the map. I put down the charcoal and looked over my plan one more time before I looked up to see everyone watching me. Marth noticed my readiness to explain my notes.

"Before we get to the plan, I'd like to say a few words." Marth said as he turned from the table to the gathered crowd, "Holm Beach is home, not only to Lord Wendell, but the infamous Macedonian Vikings as well. I know this was taken into consideration when Glacia created her plan, but I wanted to emphasize the dangers of today's conflict. I hope you will all stay safe this battle. Glacia, if you will." Marth looked to me as he finished. I nodded and began to explain the notes I had scribbled onto the map. Everyone gathered around the table to get a good look at the battle situation.

"As there is often safety in numbers, this battle will involve the assignment of someone as Second in Command. Arran, you are to take those who are not under my command under yours. Will you accept the position?"

"A commanding position?" Arran asked, pausing to consider the offer before giving me a strong nod, "Leave it to me."

"Luke, Rody, Cecille, and Matthis. You're under my command today." The crowd shuffled around as they moved to the table's sides, "Your goal will be to clear the path to this big fort here." I referenced the large fort at the far right side of the map.

"Will there be any… resistance at the fort?" Matthis asked, slightly nervous.

"From the scout's notes, there seems to be a strong Viking guarding its doors. It is very possible that he is one of high status." I shifted the focus to the landmass above the river. "The Grustian children were spotted here alongside a former ally, Ogma. What worries me is this paladin here."

"Considering he's a paladin, I doubt that he'd be conspiring with pirates." Jagen added, breaking his silence, "Perhaps he'd even help us."

"That's a valid point, but we should stay alert nonetheless." I briefly acknowledged his comment before continuing my plan's presentation, "Cecille, you'll be sticking with Prince Marth and me. Luke, Rody, and Matthis will stick together. Catria and Palla will fly together today." The sisters looked at each other with a nostalgic look. "You two will use the mountains here as protection" I circled the mountains marked on the map with my finger, "Slowly pick off the Vikings near the main fort without getting hit. I'm confident you two can make it work."

"With my sister by my side, I'm ready for anything." Catria gave me a confident smile.

"Julian, I'm going to have you attack this thief here before he can reach this village and cause mayhem." I pointed to a nearby village, "Afterward, stay with the villagers and protect them from any subsequent attackers."

"As a former thief-for-evil, I am afraid the townsfolk will have a hard time trusting me," Julian admitted after a moment of thought, "Don't fret, I'll do my best to win them over." He flashed a sly smile at me. I responded with a slight smile of my own before continuing.

"Those whose names have not been called will fall under Arran's command." A majority of the crowd's attention shifted towards him, "As my division clears the battlefield, your task is to ensure they stay clear of enemies. In our fight against seasoned fighters, we cannot afford an opportunistic ambush."

"Right." Arran grunted, "Everyone, follow me. Let us prepare." The tent emptied with a loud rustling, punctuated with the sound of the tent flaps colliding with each other.

"We should follow suit." I announced, rolling up the map and handing it to Jagen, "We'll meet out on the battlefield, in the clearing between the nearby village and the forts. Our force is small enough to go unnoticed by any enemy outlooks." There was a silent agreement between us and we made our way out of the tent. Marth accompanied me as I walked to the stables.

"Are you certain you're well enough to fight today?" Marth asked.

"Very certain. Malicia's healing is miraculously potent." I replied, stopping by Blazemane's side and grabbing her reins.

"That's good to hear, but I don't want you to push yourself too hard." Marth seemed to be distracted by the clouds for a moment, "Warren's skill with the bow… If he hadn't stayed behind, I-"

"Don't worry about it too much, my liege." As I spoke, I felt the lingering presence of the arrow in my chest. I spent a majority of our silent walk brushing away feelings of doubt. We arrived on the plain alongside a majority of my fellow knights. I mounted Blazemane once we stopped at the gathering group and gently lifted my sword from its sheath. "Let's not waste any time." I announced, "Let's move!" Horses reared with a wild neigh before taking off with their riders as the gathering group dissolved. "Cecille, we'll follow your lead."

"Right away." She said shortly before her mount took off. Blazemane followed with a leisurely gallop, allowing Marth to keep up with her pace. Ahead of us, I could see Luke and Rody fighting several men who were wielding large axes. Their mounts deftly danced around their heavy swings, occasionally allowing their rider to land a blow with their weapons. Marth and I had reached the halfway point between our starting position and the forts when the sound of horns could be heard. Blazemane screeched to a halt and Marth stopped next to us. We surveyed our surroundings, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"That must have been an alarm." Marth observed, "And yet-" Before he could finish his sentence, large groups of axe men came from the surrounding woods and grassland. Cecille took notice of our situation and redirected her horse, but was stopped by oncoming warriors. The approaching warriors formed a thick ring around us. Marth's rapier made a smooth noise as it left its sheath. "There are no reinforcements," Marth finished, "They must have known our plan, somehow."

"Stay close." I managed to say before the deafening shouts of the incoming axe men drowned out my voice. It wasn't long before my blade met the receiving end of a battle-worn axe. Their broad metallic heads whizzed by Blazemane's neck and shoulders as she fought to maintain composure. My blade cut through the air almost as quickly as it cut through their ranks, but the onslaught continued. Blazemane reared and released an intimidating neigh before slamming her hooves down on a couple of unfortunate souls. Marth's rapier made quick work of the axe men as its slim blade worked its way around their weapons. At the back of the group of attackers, our cavaliers can be seen fighting their way through the ocean of axes.

Almost simultaneously, the dreadful sound of our swords shattering from overuse filled the air around us. Realizing our disadvantage, the circle closed in once again. Instantly, I pulled out my spare sword from its home on the saddle. Its pink hilt contrasted against our bleak situation. I attempted to drive the warriors back once again, but my efforts were unnecessary as Cecille thundered through the remaining warriors and her sword felled them with ease. In a flanking maneuver, Luke and Rody finished off the last of the ambushers with Matthis shyly following suit. We gathered to briefly regroup.

"Somehow, they must have gotten wind of our plan." Marth explained, "But how could that be possible? This small detail was made on the spot."

"It's perplexing for sure, but we cannot afford to ponder on an active battlefield." Rody commented, "We should continue our path forward as soon as we can, Prince Marth."

"Of course," Marth agreed, "Ride ahead and we shall follow." Without a word, Luke, Rody, and Matthis took the lead. We waited for a while before following them at a moderate pace. As we passed by the fortresses, several axe men approached us. Without breaking a sweat, Cecille skillfully cut through them with her blade before continuing to walk with us. We made it around the edge of the mountains to see a flowing river with an old, stone bridge, surrounded by a small wood. Feathers flapped above us as the pegasus sisters flew overhead. Matthis emerged from the trees alongside an unknown paladin, an archer, and a swordsman. In the distance, Luke and Rody kept a band of archers occupied and Cecille engaged a band of swordsmen as Marth and I approached our new acquaintances. "Ogma, I trust that the Grustian royal children are with you?"

"Yes, of course." He replied, motioning to the small figures clinging to his side, "It's been a while since we were together on the battlefield." His broadsword rested with its tip buried in the grass, Ogma's hand on its hilt. Ogma's stature was on par with his blade, a moderate height compensated for in sturdiness and power. His body was sparsely covered in hardened leather. Rough, tan-colored clothes ran underneath his armor; a large sheath adorned his back and short, faded-yellow hair covered his head.

"How fortunate yet unfortunate that we are reunited in such a situation." Marth sighed, "Castor, what brings you to a place like this?" Marth's focus shifted to the young man next to Ogma.

"Prince Marth, erm…" He stammered, "I actually need money for medicine for me sick mother. I've come in search of work." His sky blue hair stuck closely to his head, refusing to follow the wind. His shoulders were protected by hard, leather pauldrons, the only pieces of armor on his body. His outfit consisted of a blue shirt, darker blue pants, and a thick belt around his waist with a small, rectangular pouch attached to it. A quiver was slung over his shoulder and a simple bow was grasped in his hands. Marth reached into his pocket and rummaged around for a few seconds.

"I don't have much with me at the moment, but this should help…"

"Prince Marth… you're too kind," Castor said, accepting the outstretched bag of gold coins, "Please, allow me to repay you by fighting alongside you once again."

"It really isn't necessary, but if that is your wish, then I will allow it." Marth said with a smile. Throughout Marth's conversations, the mysterious paladin had been watching me intently. He was slightly taken aback when Marth addressed him. "Pardon my rudeness. Who may you be?"

"I am Sirius, a mere traveler." The paladin introduced himself calmly, "I want to save the children… That is all." Despite the fact that the paladin's mask obscured his eyes, I could feel him staring straight through me as he spoke. His slightly curly, blonde hair stood out from his dark mahogany outfit. His long shirt, boots, and gloves were decorated with golden details. A shawl was draped over his cape, both adorned with golden décor as well. A powerful lance rested in his hand as he sat upon his charcoal black steed.

"Prince Marth. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Marth said. Sirius responded to Marth's introduction with a polite nod. "This is Glacia of my Royal Guard." Marth motioned towards me. Ogma momentarily left his sword implanted in the ground to give my hand a strong shake.

"Ogma. Well met!" Ogma said with a big smile.

"Likewise." I responded. Castor gave me a timid wave as the Grustian children hid behind him. Sirius remained stoic, only responding with a silent nod.

"Let's move and end this battle before any misfortune can befall us," Marth noted, looking at the ongoing battle in the distance. "It seems the enemy is aware of our battle strategy."

"How so?" Sirius asked, maintaining his stoic expression.

"They were able to successfully launch an ambush on Glacia and me near the start of the battle." Marth explained, "A counter-maneuver for a plan conceived minutes before the battle itself…" Cecille had finished off the final swordsman and galloped to my side. "Glacia, what's our strategy from here?" Marth asked, directing attention to me.

"With the progress of the battle so far, we can afford to approach and engage those at the main fort with all we have." I replied, "If they expected a careful tactic, they won't be able to predict our sudden switch to an aggressive tactic fast enough to adapt."

"Let's get moving, then." Ogma said, ripping his sword out of the ground. Sirius seemed to want to say something, but decided against it, remaining silent.

"My liege, if you would allow it, Cecille will guard you as I charge ahead and direct our forces." I said, looking towards Marth. He gave me a strong nod and Cecille took position next to him. "Follow my lead!" Blazemane reared before galloping towards the concluding battle in the distance. Matthis and Sirius followed close behind while Castor and Ogma lagged behind, lacking a speedy mount. Cecille guided Marth and the Grustian children behind them. Luke struck down the last archer right before I blazed past him, motioning for him to follow. With a quick glance at Rody and a shrug, he whipped his steed into a sprint, quickly catching up to me. I looked up to recruit the pegasus sisters to join the charge, but they had already joined, their white steeds making steep dives to increase their velocity.

"A pretty brash move, don't you think?" Luke shouted over the sound of pounding hooves.

"With an enemy that can predict our plan before the battle even begins, brashness is just what we need!" I readied my sword in my hand, "Hit them with all you've got!"

"That's what I do best!" Luke raised his sword to the sky and sprinted ahead with Rody in tow. It wasn't long before the fortress stood tall before us. A small band of axe men stood around a bigger axe man. His higher status was displayed in the form of a red, sleeveless tunic and a similar colored bandana. As he watched our approach, he seemed to be intimidated, bearing a confused and panicked expression, before quickly replacing the ruse with an attack of his own. Luke collided head on with the oncoming onslaught of axes, narrowly dodging the flying axes. Rody came in on the opposing side, attempting a flanking maneuver, but was unsuccessful. From the skies, Catria dove into the middle of the enemy front with her sister, lances at the ready. The element of surprise enabled them to efficiently spread panic throughout their ranks, allowing Luke and Rody to successfully cut through the group.

With their commanding officer taking a back seat, the group of axe men split into multiple smaller groups as Luke and Rody continued to charge through them. From behind me, Sirius sprinted ahead, powerfully striking his opponent with his large lance. Another quickly took his place, but was unsuccessful at launching a surprise attack on Sirius as Castor skillfully landed an arrow in his chest. I engaged two oncoming opponents at once, using the blunt force of Blazemane's body to knock one down and my sharp blade to down the other. A loud grunt came from behind as I turned to see Ogma striking down another two axe men. The remaining axe men were quickly dispatched, leaving their commanding officer out in the open.

He grabbed a silver axe from its housing on his back and wielded it in both hands, ready to stand his ground. Luke and Rody made the first move, charging at his position from opposing sides. With a strong grunt, their target jumped out of the way. Luke and Rody's mounts screeched to a halt to avoid crashing into each other, letting out a surprised whinny. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Viking commander swung his axe at Luke, digging its sharp edge into his back. In an attempt to keep Luke from further harm, Castor let loose a rain of arrows. Luke managed to get out of the range of his axe while he was distracted with blocking the incoming arrows. Ogma ran up to confront him, but stopped several feet in front of him. Ogma pointed the sharp tip of his blade at the enemy commander as they stared each other down.

"Heh, what are you, afraid?" the commander taunted, invoking no response from Ogma, "You're all pathetic, the whole lot a' ya'." He rushed forward and swung at Ogma who quickly blocked the attack with his sword. The two spent a few seconds struggling against the strength of the other before the Viking suddenly lost the struggle and fell to the ground. The smooth sound of a sword retreating into its sheath resonated from behind where he fell as Marth retired his steel blade. Cecille was close by with the Grustian children hoisted onto her saddle, holding onto her waist as tightly as they could. The pegasus sisters landed close by as I approached Marth. Cecille walked up to him as well.

"My liege, that was-" I started.

"I know, but I couldn't just stand back and watch." Marth looked to Cecille, "Cecille and I saw the window of opportunity and took it."

"Without our surprise attack, who knows how badly things could have spiraled out of control." Cecille shot an accusing glance at Luke who was tending to his wound.

"I understand and I think you did the right thing, Cecille." I complimented, causing Cecille to slightly blush, "My apologies. I was just concerned about your well-being, my liege."

"There is no need to apologize, but I will accept it." Marth flashed a small smile at me before turning to the gathering group, "With the Viking threat out of the way, we should head to Wendell's home."

"I can easily lead you to his dwelling." Sirius offered, maintaining his aura of mystery, "Follow me." He turned his horse around and began to walk without a word. I looked towards Marth and he met my eyes. He gave me a silent nod before following Sirius. I hesitated for a moment before I followed suit, with everyone else soon joining me. We walked back around the mountain and towards our encampment. During the walk, I would occasionally motion for an ally to follow me before telling Arran himself to have everyone retreat from the battlefield. Following Sirius soon led us to the village I commanded Julian to protect. I ran ahead and met with him in front of the village.

"Glacia!" Julian shouted, waving at me.

"The townsfolk are safe, I assume." I said as soon as I reached him.

"As safe as can be. What brings you here?"

"We've defeated the Vikings in this area and Sirius led us here in our search for Wendell's house."

"Sirius? Do you mean the masked horseman over there?" He pointed to Sirius as he entered the village gates.

"I do. We should follow him."

"I second that. He doesn't look like the most trustworthy fellow, either." Without further debate, we followed him into the village, passing through increasingly crowded streets. Sirius suddenly stopped at an ordinary house.

"This is his home." He told us before moving out of the way to allow Marth to enter. Instinctively, I jumped off of Blazemane and entered the house close behind him. The home's interior was scarcely decorated and books littered the chairs and tables that filled in the empty spaces on the floor. An elderly man approached us as we entered his home.

"Oh! You're… you're the prince of Altea!" He slowly said as he examined us with his glasses, "How nice of you to drop by, sir."

"I've been told Wendell was living here. Is he here by any chance?" Marth asked. The man slowly shook his head.

"You are correct that he lives here, but unfortunately a group of Archanean soldiers suddenly came and took him away yesterday."

"Did they give a reason?"

"Not a single word about reasons. Wendell did leave this for you, however." He went to a pile of books and shuffled through them before taking out a light blue book. He put the book into Marth's hands. "I believe it is wind magic. Please, take it with you and may it serve you well, prince of Altea."

"Thank you. Please, excuse us." Marth turned and motioned for me to follow him outside. I gave the man a goodbye wave before I stepped outside. "It seems Wendell isn't here." Marth announced to the awaiting crowd, "Let's get back to camp." Everyone slowly maneuvered the streets once again. Marth handed the book to Julian and he placed it in one of the sacks on his belt. With Blazemane's reins in my hands, I kept close to Marth, keeping an eye on Sirius. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead and his expression was unchanging. Once we had left the village gates, I shifted my gaze towards the path ahead instead.

Halfway to the campsite, we came across a thick forest where Jagen was waiting for our return. "Another successful battle." Jagen said to me with a smile. As we continued to the camp, the sound of flapping wings could be heard from behind. I glanced at Catria and then at Palla, noting that their pegasi were grounded. The group stopped to watch a pegasus fly towards us at an alarming rate. Catria readied her reins, but put them back down when a familiar face came into sight. With a loud thud, the pegasus landed on the grass with its frantic rider holding tightly to its reins.

"Marth!" She cried, brushing her long, blue hair out of her face.

"Caeda! Did something happen? Why are you here?" Marth quickly asked as he ran up to her.

"Oh, Marth! Altea… Altea was attacked by the imperial army!" Caeda paused to catch her breath, grasping Marth's hand in her's, "The Archanean League ambushed us! Our… our forces were annihilated and we lost the castle…" She struggled to stop her tears from flowing, but her efforts were ineffective.

"What- Altea…" Marth stuttered, unable to face the sudden news.

"This is terrible beyond words. What we feared the most has come into reality…" Jagen commented, "Emperor Hardin likely heard Lang's story and had us branded as traitors."

"That can't be!" Marth exclaimed, "I refuse to believe Hardin would attack Altea. You're claiming he believed Lang's story that I wished to instigate a rebellion?" Marth released his grasp and fully faced Jagen, "That's preposterous!"

"This attack of this scale seems too quick to have been a recent decision. It is likely the Grust campaign and the situation in Macedon were a setup." Jagen reflected, "They had you leave Altea, with your most elite knights in tow, and attacked when defenses were weakened."

"Are you insisting Hardin planned this? Are you suggesting that Hardin would attack a fellow nation? I can't… I won't accept this!"

"Princess Caeda, what of the others? And Princess Elice?" Jagen asked, surprising the emotional pegasus knight.

"Elice… she… she gave herself up so I could deliver this message." She stopped to wipe away her tears, "Marth, I… I'm so sorry."

"Caeda, please… don't cry." Marth's hand returned to her's, "Just knowing you're safe makes me happy. I should be the one apologizing, I shouldn't have left…"

"If I may interrupt," Sirius suddenly said, catching the party by surprise, "I don't believe you should apologize either, Prince. If anyone was to apologize for this catastrophe, it should be her!" He pointed an accusatory finger at me.

"What-" I started, attempting to defend myself.

"I may have just joined your side, but I can see it as clear as day." Sirius turned to Marth, "Prince, you hired a conspirator as your Royal Guard. There's no other way to say it."

"What is this madness that you speak of!?" Marth cried, "This can't be happening…"

"The Archanean league needed to keep you away from your homeland, thus sending you on those campaigns. Now that we are so far from Altea, how convenient is it for them to attack precisely on this day?" Sirius slowly got off his horse, but kept his lance in his hand, "And how did the Vikings know the plan unless they had someone on the inside? Makes you wonder about the "improvised" tactic. Was it really improvised?" His gaze remained fixed on me as he took slow steps towards me; his words struck me like knives. "Tell me, was it? Being Prince Marth's personal knight, you'd most likely spend most of your time by his side. You are aware of his every move. And when he defeated the Viking commander, you rushed up to him with such a worried look. Is it his well-being you concerned yourself with or was it the failure of your plan to stall him or, curse you if this is true, eliminate him?" I let go of Blazemane's reins and began to take steps back as he got closer, "Perhaps it is your allegiance with the Archanean League that makes the rescue of the Grustian children by Ogma and Prince Marth another check mark in your mission. What do you have to say for yourself!?"

"N-No, none of this is true!" I stammered.

"Words of a traitor!" Sirius angrily shouted. He ran at me with his lance pointed at me. I backed up until my back hit a tree and closed my eyes as the tip of his lance grazed my neck and embedded itself into the trunk of the tree. The lance's large barb sat an inch away from my neck.

"That's enough!" Jagen shouted, ripping Sirius and his lance away from me, "If you are sincere in your wishes to assist us in battle, then we will happily welcome you, but that does not allow you to throw threats and accusations around! Especially at a member of the Royal Guard!" Jagen's sudden outburst caused Sirius to stagger backward somewhat. He quickly retreated to his steed's side.

"Hmph. If you're adamant on trusting her, then there's not much I can do." Sirius grunted and climbed onto his horse, "I only wish to protect the children. Assisting you fools are secondary to that task. I pray you do not regret not heeding my words today." He shortly continued towards the campsite on his own, leaving us to process what had just happened. Once he had left, my body finally relaxed.

"Ridiculous claims from a ridiculous man." He muttered under his breath. I shook myself of the paralyzing shock, noticing the entire party had focused their gaze on me.

"Glacia…" Marth softly said as he took slow steps towards me, "Tell me this isn't true."

"It's not. I'd never do anything to harm you or Altea," Desperation plagued my voice and the cold presence of my necklace became more prominent with each passing second, "Prince Marth, please, you have to believe me." A deadly silence surrounded us as Marth slowly walked up to me. His quivering hands grasped mine and he looked deep into my eyes as he spoke.

"I believed, in my heart, that placing my trust in you was the right thing to do." He paused as he searched for the right words to use, "I refuse to believe his claims about you as much as I refuse to believe Jagen's about Hardin, but please… swear to me that my trust is not misplaced."

"On my grandfather's grave, I swear." I felt a tear leave my eye.

"Good…" Marth's volume lowered as he slowly released my hand. He took a few steps back before turning to walk to Caeda's side. "Let's get back to camp and… process what just occurred." In a deafening silence, one by one, we began to continue our walk back to the campsite. I held myself close to Blazemane's neck as everyone passed by me; their looks of warm compassion turned to cold confusion. Blazemane could sense my pain and rubbed her head against mine. I stroked her head, but I couldn't bring myself to smile. Once everyone had walked away, Julian slowly approached me.

"Hey, you doing alright?" He gave me a gentle pat on the back.

"I really wish I knew…"

"Look, I know the situation looks grim, but I know you can pull through it." He waited as if he expected me to say something, but I couldn't muster up a response, "I personally think everything he said was coincidental. I don't believe a second of it."

"So you still…"

"Yeah, of course I trust you. I'm sure everyone else still does, too. That Sirius is just stirring up trouble. It's not completely improbable that the true criminal here could be him." Julian smiled at the irony of the thought. "Come, I'll take you back to the camp." I resisted his light tug on my arm at first, but after a minute, I let him lead me with Blazemane's reins in my hand. "And to think they'd attack Altea and succeed…" Julian thought out loud, "Say, did you know anyone who stayed back in Altea?" My mind blanked for a few seconds before a clear thought came into my mind.

"Cain!" I blurted.

"Cain?" Julian confirmed, "I doubt he would lose to the likes of them." My sudden panic was reduced to mild concern after hearing those words.

"Do you think he was able to escape..? Like Princess Caeda?"

"No, I know he got out. He's not the type of guy to just give up."

"He really isn't." I admitted with a slight smile, "I hope he's alright."

"Say, what is he to you anyway? You sound really worried."

"He was my teacher. It was his teaching that got me into this position."

"Cain? As a teacher? Never thought he'd take up that profession."

"Why not?"

"He was always the hot-headed type, can't go a day without some action." We reached the edge of the camp and one of the soldiers ran up to me with a hand outstretched for Blazemane's reins. I gave her a look of reassurance before I handed them over. She looked worried about me, but she didn't resist the gentle pull of her reins. We continued our walk in a comfortable silence until we reached my tent. "I know you're probably not going to want to go anywhere around camp, so I'll be right back with a nice meal or two. I'm sure you're starving."

"I… Thank you, Julian." I said. He nodded before disappearing from the tent's opening. I unfurled the tent flaps, completely concealing myself in its confines. I took off my armor and my sword and put them in their usual places. With a quick light of a match, I lit the lantern on the corner of the desk. I propped myself up on the bed as the frame creaked with my movements. I sat on the noisy bed with my back against the small headboard. I held my necklace's cold stone in my hand as it glistened in the lantern light.

I heard a shuffling near the entrance and expected Julian to pop his head in, but I spotted a head with blonde hair instead.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something, Glacia. May I come in?" It was Warren.

"Of course." I said, masking my sorrow and letting my necklace rest against my chest once again. He slipped in through the flaps, momentarily looking behind himself before entering.

"So I heard from this Sirius guy that you might be…" He hesitated to finish his sentence.

"I know… why are you here then?"

"Oh, so you're aware?" He paused to have a seat on the floor rug, "This is quite a predicament you're in, with both the fall of Altea and your traitorous rumors."

"And I don't know what to do about either of them."

"The answer is simpler than you'd think. From what I've seen, barely anyone in our camp believes what he says. As for Altea, Prince Marth isn't known for giving up when his people are at stake. He'll fight for them with you right beside him."

"I fear I may have lost his trust."

"That's impossible. He's spoken so highly of you, I doubt a stranger's ramblings can break that bond."

"He has?"

"Indeed. While you were recovering from the wound the arrow left in your chest, he couldn't stop thanking me. Claimed you were someone he'd truly trust with his life."

"I wasn't aware…"

"Well, now you are. I guess what I'm trying to say is: don't let this be what breaks you."

"Thanks, Warren, for the advice and for saving my life."

"Anytime." He said, jumping to his feet and preemptively opening the tent door, "Um… take care." He left the tent before I could say farewell. I sat alone in silence as I pondered Warren's words of wisdom. His words made me feel more confident and positive about the situation, but I felt constantly harassed by the possibility that the situation could get worse. A few minutes had passed by before Julian showed up at the entrance with several boxes in his hands. He set them down on the rug and we ate our meal together. Julian was full of stories while I just ate in silence, absorbing all of the little details in his grand stories. I felt refreshed by his storytelling, but today's events were still on my mind. By the time we were done, the crickets were chirping outside and the camp had gone silent. Julian took the boxes and used utensils with him as he left. As I laid on my bed, I struggled to close my eyes, fearing the possibility of terrifying nightmares. Out of pure exhaustion, I managed to keep my eyes closed long enough for sleep to take over.

Soon, I could hear the sound of a familiar voice. "Hey, Glacia. Glacia wake up." I moaned as I felt a hand shaking me. "Come on, wake up." I slowly opened my eyes and saw Cecille standing over me. "Get up, there's something I want you to see." I groggily sat on the side of my bed, taking a few minutes to gather enough strength to stand up. I went to grab my sword when she stopped me. "We won't need any weapons or armor. It's not a late night attack." I felt uneasy with the thought of being sword-less in the world, but I made peace with the idea as Cecille led me by the arm through the nearby forest. The thick canopy shrouded the forest in an ominous darkness with occasional specks of moonlight breaking the solid darkness. We quickly approached a flickering campfire. Its warm glow illuminated the surrounding trees as well as the people sitting around the fire on felled logs. Luke and Rody were sitting together on a log while Marth and Caeda shared one as well. Ryan was chatting with Gordin when Cecille and I claimed the last log.

"With the state of current events, I believe a campfire could help… lighten the mood." Marth said once we had taken a seat, "We cannot afford to lose morale at a time like this."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you only invite us?" Luke asked.

"Because I believe you will benefit the most from this activity." Marth responded, "I would also like to use this time to..." I could feel his eyes staring through me. "I'd like to start by apologizing… to Glacia. I acted out of fear and confusion. I never should have doubted your loyalty and yet the first thing I did was believe the words of a stranger…"

"My liege, please, don't apologize." I weakly responded.

"But it is the right thing to do. My trust in you hasn't faltered, believe me and… please, forgive me."

"Of course… of course I forgive you." The words slowly left my mouth as I held back my tears of relief.

"Thank you, Glacia." His small smile eased the tension in the atmosphere.

"What will we do about Sirius?" Cecille asked with a hint of anger.

"We will allow him to fight alongside us as, in our situation, we will need all the help we can afford." Marth paused for a moment before continuing, "We will keep a close eye on him at all times until he proves himself to be trustworthy." We silently nodded in agreement.

"Enough about that. Let's take our minds off of the despair, even if it's just for a little while." Caeda added softly.

"Yeah, it won't do us much good to dwell on such a topic." Marth added, "Gordin, I heard your brother saved your life on the battlefield today."

"I, uh, yeah. He did." Gordin stuttered, surprised by the shift in mood, "He shot an axe right out of the air. Right before it hit me."

"That's pretty impressive." Rody commented.

"It- ah, it was just an accident really. A really fortunate accident…" Ryan slightly blushed at the compliment.

"I did something pretty impressive today, too." Luke said with a big smile, "I knocked an arrow right out of the air with my sword right before it hit me."

"That is pretty impressive Luke," Rody said, "But I think we can all agree that it was much more impressive when I knocked an arrow out of the air with my lance." There were a few nods of agreement.

"It's not all that impressive. Once, I was able to catch an arrow with my own hands, inches away from my body."

"Sure, but have you caught an incoming javelin with your own hands?" Rody took a sip from his cup.

"Javelins are easy. I'd like to see you catch a hand axe that was targeted at your face!"

"Never said I haven't."

"Ok, well, how about this? I've reflected a fireball with just a swing of my sword!"

"Get back to me when you've deflected lightning bolts." Rody retorted with a sly smile. Luke got up from his seat, clearly refusing to be bested.

"I could split meteor spells in half without breaking a sweat!"

"Meteors are big targets. You probably wouldn't be able to cut through a swarm of magically summoned insects." Rody took another sip.

"I definitely could!"

"Well, with someone of your caliber on our side, there's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah! There is- wait, are you mocking me?"

"I don't know, am I?" Rody put his cup down next to him. Everyone snickered as Luke tried his best to best Rody.

"You are! Come on, admit it. You're just jealous of my superior skills."

"Oh, trust me, I am." Rody's voice was thick with sarcasm, "I wish I could be just as incompetent as you are." Caeda covered her mouth as she stifled her own laughter.

"Wh-what… I swear-"

"Relax Luke," Rody said with a smile as Luke prepared to launch himself at him, "It's all in good fun." There was a variable amount of laughter echoing through the tranquil night as Luke and Rody continued to take continuous jabs at each other, occasionally taking a few moments to allow someone else to speak about a different subject before using the subject shift to start another back-and-forth conversation between them. The almost continuous entertainment did wonders to my emotional health as my problems seemed to melt away into the flickering light. A couple hours passed by before we unanimously decided that it was best for us to get some sleep before sunrise. The fire was put out and we returned to the campsite together, slowly splitting up to return to our tents. In the end, I walked along the tents with Marth at my side. Before he entered his tent, he turned towards me.

"Glacia, I hope I didn't… hurt you, acting out like that after a stressful battle." He said, eyes glittering in the moonlight.

"It's all in the past now," I said, meeting his eyes with mine, "It's all forgiven. Please, don't worry yourself so much about it, Marth." He momentarily closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Goodnight, Glacia."

"Goodnight."


End file.
